Crispy Buttermilk Fried Catfish

Crispy buttermilk fried catfish with a cornmeal crust, smoked paprika and fresh basil garnish. The fish fry I grew up on at my PawPaw's church, made my way.

prep time: 40 min active

cook time: 1 hr 30 min total

Breaded fried cutlets on a wire cooling rack garnished with lemon wedges and herbs. - Hungry Mockingbird

I served this at my October dinner party recently and it was such a hit. As you may know, I never really liked catfish growing up, but my PawPaw would hold fish fries at the catholic church and you know as a kid, you eat what you’re served. I never EVER craved catfish until he passed, now I look for every excuse to make it. Serve with a lemon wedge, and hot sauce.

Makes: 4 to 6 plates
Active time: 40 min | Total time: 1 hr 30 min

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From the Kitchen

Before you start:

This uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Using Morton kosher: a scant 1 tsp in the brine and 1¾ tsp in the coating. Using table salt or fine sea salt: ¾ tsp in the brine and 1½ tsp in the coating.
Use strong bags for the coating. Cheap ones split when you shake them.

Why This Works:

The vinegar and lemon soak cleans up any muddy taste catfish can have and firms up the fillets. Keep it to 15 minutes, max. Any longer and the acid starts to break the fish down.
Baking soda in the buttermilk helps the crust brown deeper and fry up lighter and crispier.
Not drying the fish after the soak gives the buttermilk something to grab onto, and the buttermilk gives the coating something to grab onto.
Coarse stone-ground cornmeal plus a little flour. The cornmeal brings the crunch, the flour helps it all bind.
Letting the coated fish rest hydrates the coating so it stays on the fish instead of falling off in the oil.
Holding the oil at 350°F and draining on a wire rack is what keeps it crispy instead of greasy.

Crispy Buttermilk Fried Catfish

Ingredients

For the soak

2 to 2½ lb catfish fillets
½ cup white distilled vinegar
1 lemon juiced, plus the lemon carcass
water enough to cover

For the seasoned buttermilk brine

1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground mustard
½ tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
½ tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 tsp dried herbs herbes de Provence, Italian seasoning, or whatever dried herbs you have
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cinnamon

For the fish fry coating

1 cup coarse stone-ground cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried herbs herbes de Provence or dried Italian seasoning
½ cup fresh basil loosely packed and hand torn

For frying

vegetable oil about 1 to 2 inches deep in the skillet

Instructions

The soak

Put the catfish in a large bowl with ½ cup vinegar and the juice of one lemon plus the lemon carcass. Add water until the fillets are covered.

2 to 2½ lb catfish fillets, ½ cup white distilled vinegar, 1 lemon, water
Let it sit for no more than 15 minutes. Drain, but don't dry the fish.

The brine

Whisk the brine together in a shallow dish.

1 ½ cups buttermilk, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground mustard, ½ tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, ½ tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 2 tsp dried herbs, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cinnamon
Add the fish, turn to coat, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

The coating

Mix the coating in a strong zip-top bag.

1 cup coarse stone-ground cornmeal, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp dried herbs, ½ cup fresh basil
Lift 2 to 4 fillets out of the buttermilk, drop them in the bag, and shake until fully coated. Move them to the wire rack and repeat with the rest.
Let the coated fish rest for at least 10 minutes. The coating needs to hydrate so it stays stuck to the fish when it hits the oil.

The fry

While the fish rests, heat the oil in the cast iron to 350°F.

vegetable oil
Fry two fillets at a time, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Listen: it should sound like a calm rainstorm and not like a #treacherous thunderstorm.
- Ready when: the crust is deep golden brown and crisp, and the thickest part reads at least 145°F. AGAIN: I like mine fried hard so I go until it's about 150-155°F.
- Watch for: the oil dropping below 325°F. Let it come back up to 350°F between batches, or the coating will soak up oil and go greasy.
Drain on the wire rack, not just paper towels. Paper towels trap steam and soften the bottom crust you literally just worked so hard for.