Cast-Iron Cornmeal Catfish with Quick Tartar Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Louisiana swamp-shack fried catfish, scaled down to one cast-iron skillet and a half-inch of oil. Buttermilk-soaked fillets get a fine cornmeal jacket seasoned with cayenne and paprika, then fry to a shatter-crisp shell in about three minutes a side. A five-minute tartar sauce and a hard squeeze of lemon are all it needs — and the leftovers make ridiculously good tacos.

Ingredients

• 4 catfish fillets (5-7 oz each), thin ends trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (Louisiana-style)
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp pickle brine
• 2 tbsp shallot or sweet onion, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• black pepper to taste

• 2 cups peanut or vegetable oil (enough for 1/2 inch in the skillet)
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• flaky salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Pat the catfish dry, then trim off the very thin tail ends so the fillets cook evenly (or cut large fillets crosswise into 3-inch fingers). Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, and 1 tsp salt in a shallow dish, add the fish, turn to coat, and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes while you make the sauce.
2. Stir together all the tartar sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste, adjust with more pickle brine or hot sauce, and refrigerate until serving.
3. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, paprika, 1 1/2 tsp salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne together in a wide dish or on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high to 355-365°F on an instant-read or clip-on thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet next to the stove.
5. Lift one fillet from the buttermilk, let the excess run off for a few seconds, then press it firmly into the cornmeal mixture on both sides. Pat the coating on, shake off the loose crumbs, and set it aside. Dredge only what will fit in the skillet at one time.
6. Slide 2 to 3 fillets into the oil, thick side away from you, keeping them from touching. Fry undisturbed for 3 minutes, until the edges are deep gold and the crust looks set, then flip once with a fish spatula and fry 2 to 3 minutes more. The fish is done at 145°F internal and the crust should be evenly browned; keep the oil between 340 and 365°F, adjusting the burner between batches.
7. Transfer to the wire rack (never paper towels — it steams the crust), season immediately with flaky salt, and let the oil come back to 360°F before frying the next batch, about 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Serve right away, piled on a platter with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon over the fish at the table, not before.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem