Mom’s Fried Catfish with Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups vegetable oil
Hot Sauce
- 2 teaspoons blended olive oil
- 3 red Fresno chiles, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Directions
- Combine the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, Hot Sauce, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and 1 teaspoon each of the salt and black pepper in a large bowl or large ziplock plastic freezer bag. Add catfish pieces; cover or seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.
- Whisk together the cornmeal, cayenne, remaining 3 teaspoons salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper in a shallow dish or pie pan.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium.
- Remove the catfish from the buttermilk mixture, and dredge in the cornmeal. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Fry the catfish (large pieces first), in batches, until golden brown 5 to 7 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with additional Hot Sauce (recipe below).
Hot Sauce
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium. Add the chiles, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the vinegars and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, and remove from the heat. Let stand 20 minutes.
- Process the chile mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. (Remove the center of the blender top to prevent the mixture from overflowing, and be wary of inhaling pepper vapors.) Makes 3⁄4 cup.
Notes
- If using boneless catfish, this dish can be served as a sandwich with lettuce and Chive Aioli on page 357 of “Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes.”
- To drink with chardonnay, dry riesling, sauvignon blanc, sémillon, amber beers, dark beers, hard ciders, IPAs.
- Serve with other fried foods, braised green, breakfast, potato, egg, or bean dishes, green or tomato salads.
