Fried Fish
My family often has fish fries to bring everyone together and eat good food. My dad would go on fishing trips and come back home to fry up the fish he caught for us. That will always be a core memory for me. Crispy fish is best served on sandwich bread with hot sauce—if you know, then you know. It’s also great served with grits for breakfast.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. whiting fish fillets, or flaky white fish of choice
- 1 c. yellow cornmeal
- 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ¼ c. Louisiana hot sauce
- ¼ c. yellow mustard
- Vegetable oil, to fry
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Instructions:
- Clean the fish fillets and thoroughly pat dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together Louisiana hot sauce and yellow mustard.
- In a deep, large cast-iron skillet, add about 2 in. of oil and heat to 350°F. Line a plate with paper towels.
- While the oil heats, coat each fish fillet in the hot sauce and mustard mix. Then, coat in the cornmeal mixture and press the mixture into the fillets to make sure they are fully coated. Shake off any excess and transfer to a plate.
- Once the oil is hot, add the fish fillets in batches, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the fried fish to the lined plate to drain the grease. Once all the fish has been fried, serve immediately.
