Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Nuggets with Comeback Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Bite-size catfish soaked in hot-sauce buttermilk, tumbled in seasoned cornmeal, and deep-fried to a shatteringly crisp gold in about three minutes a batch. The tangy mayo-ketchup comeback sauce stirs together in the time it takes the oil to heat, so dinner lands on the table fast and disappears faster.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb catfish fillets, cut into 1.5-inch chunks
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 8 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp dill pickle juice

Instructions

1. Toss the catfish chunks with the buttermilk and hot sauce in a bowl until coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you set up everything else.
2. Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Refrigerate the comeback sauce until serving.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven so it comes no more than one-third up the sides — this headroom is what keeps the oil from boiling over. Clip on a deep-fry thermometer and heat over medium until the oil reaches 360°F, about 10 minutes. Keep the handle turned inward, keep kids and pets out of the kitchen, and never leave hot oil unattended; if it ever smokes, kill the heat immediately.
4. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Lift the catfish from the buttermilk a few pieces at a time, letting the excess drip off, and press each piece firmly into the cornmeal mix until fully coated. Set the coated nuggets on a plate.
5. Fry in 4 batches of about 8 pieces, lowering them into the oil gently with a slotted spoon or spider to avoid splashing. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and the fish flakes easily. Do not crowd the pot.
6. Lift the nuggets onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet (paper towels will steam the crust soft) and season with a pinch of salt while hot. Let the oil climb back to 360°F between batches, about 2 minutes.
7. Serve the catfish hot with the chilled comeback sauce. Let the oil cool completely in the pot before straining or discarding it.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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