Fishing was a major part of my childhood. We’d spend the morning out on a pier overlooking a pond, on the shores of a lake, or the banks of a river lazily fishing the day away. After we’d caught our limits of catfish or bass or perch, the fished would be cleaned and then fried up fresh for dinner. We’d usually have hushpuppies or pinto beans and rice as side dishes. Every once in awhile I get a deep soulful craving for fried catfish. Since I had mustard greens on hand, that’s what went along with it but feel free to mix it up as fried fish goes well with just about anything.

Fried Catfish

2 fresh Catfish filets

about 2 cups Buttermilk

2 tbsp Tabasco

1/4 cup coarse ground Cornmeal

1/4 cup fine ground Cornmeal

1/4 cup Quinoa flour

about 1/4 cup Peanut oil, or oil of choice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lemon wedges, optional

Method:

In a large mixing bowl or container, add the buttermilk and Tabasco. Whisk until well combined. Add the catfish filets to the buttermilk and submerge as much as possible, adding more buttermilk if needed. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to overnight. Remove fish from the fridge and set aside. In a large casserole dish combine the cornmeal and Quinoa flour and generously salt and pepper. In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil until it is shimmering. Remove the catfish filets, one at a time, from the buttermilk and allow the excess buttermilk to drip off. Dredge the filet in the cornmeal flour mixture until well coated on both sides. Drop in the shimmering oil and repeat with the second filet. Fry the fish until golden brown then gently flip and continue frying until cooked through and crisp. Gently remove the filets from the skillet and allow to rest on paper towels for a few seconds. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, favorite side dishes, and additional Tabasco, if desired.