Mississippi Catfish And Hushpuppies Recipes

MISSISSIPPI CATFISH AND HUSHPUPPIES

Steps:

• Hushpuppies: Mix first 6 ingredients in mixing bowl. Add buttermilk as needed until batter reaches a thick, mashed potato-like consistency. Refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour before using. Heat peanut oil to 325 degrees F. Using 2 teaspoons to drop the batter, dip the first teaspoon into water and then fill with hushpuppy batter. Use the other teaspoon to rake the batter into the oil. Cook for approximately 4 minutes until golden brown. The hushpuppies should roll over in the oil by themselves. If they do not, you may have to turn them.
• For the Catfish: Put first 6 ingredients into a large brown paper bag. Roll down the top and shake until well-mixed. Cut catfish in half lengthwise. Pat dry with paper towel. Mix milk and hot sauce. Dip catfish in milk bath, put in paper bag with breading and shake until covered. Place catfish into pot with about 4 inches of peanut oil heated to about 325 to 350 degrees F. Cook until brown and firm, about 6 to 7 minutes.

MISSISSIPPI CATFISH AND HUSH PUPPIES

Steps:

• 1. CAT FISH:Pour oil into a large cast iron or heavy bottom skillet to a depth of 3 inches; heat over medium high heat until hot but NOT smoking. 350 - 360 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• 2. Meanwhile, combine corn meal, flour, seasoned salt, garlic salt, lemon pepper, cayenne, and black pepper to taste in a large shallow dish. Thoroughly dredge catfish fillets, gently shaking off excess.
• 3. Work in 2 batches to avoid crowding, fry catfish in hot oil. It takes about 5-6 minutes on one side before turning or until golden brown. Transfer fillets with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Season with salt to taste.
• 4. HUSH PUPPIES: Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the center of mixture.
• 5. Combine egg and next 4 ingredients, stir well, add to dry ingredients in the well, stirring just until moistened.
• 6. Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch Oven or large sauce pan heat to 375 degrees.
• 7. Drop batter by rounded tablespoon fulls into oil, fry in batches. 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve while hot.

SWEET ONION AND CATFISH HUSH PUPPIES WITH COMEBACK SAUCE

Steps:

• For the comeback sauce: Combine mayonnaise, sambal, ketchup, lemon juice, hot sauce, smoked paprika, Worcestershire, garlic powder, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and everything is well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• For the whipped sorghum butter: Add the butter, molasses and salt to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or to a medium bowl if you're using a hand mixer or whisk. Mix on medium speed until well-combined and the butter is lightened and fluffy.
• For the catfish: Combine the catfish with salt and sugar in a bowl. Refrigerate.
• For the hush puppies: Combine cornmeal with sugar, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine these dry ingredients. Whisk together the buttermilk and egg in a separate bowl until there are no specks of egg and it becomes a smooth and homogenous mixture.
• Retrieve the quick-cured catfish from the fridge, and add the catfish and diced onion to the dry ingredient mixture. Quickly stir together to coat the onion and catfish bits with cornmeal and spices. Add the buttermilk and egg and mix quickly with a spatula or wooden spoon until everything is well combined and the batter stiffens up pretty quickly as the cornmeal soaks up the buttermilk. Cover your batter and refrigerate for a few minutes while you prepare your pot for frying.
• Add vegetable oil to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven no larger than 8 inches across-it's necessary for deep frying to have at least 2 inches of oil. Heat the oil over medium heat, bringing it up to 350 degrees F, using a thermometer to check the temperature. (If you don't have a thermometer, you can tell that the oil is ready when you add a small pinch of flour and it immediately sizzles and fries. You can fry without a thermometer if you're feeling bold, but just be careful that your oil doesn't get too hot or cold-you could either burn your hush puppies or end up with greasy ones-and no one wants that!)
• Once the oil is up to 350 degrees F, pull your batter from the fridge and begin to scoop it into the hot oil. We like to use a 3/4-ounce cookie scoop, but you could also use two spoons to scoop and drop roughly tablespoon-sized dollops into the hot oil. Fry as many hush puppies as comfortably fit into the pot at once-they should definitely have some room to expand and get crispy. It's okay to fry in several batches.
• Fry the hush puppies for 2 minutes, then turn them over and fry until golden brown and fluffy on the inside, another 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider, moving them to a plate or tray lined with paper towels to help drain any excess oil. Sprinkle the hush puppies with a little salt while they're still hot. Repeat this process until all your hush puppies are cooked and seasoned.
• Pile the hushpuppies into a dish for serving and garnish with a nice sprinkle of the chives. Serve them nice and hot with 1 cup comeback sauce and 1/4 cup whipped sorghum butter, or your favorite sauces.