Soul Food Fried Catfish (Printable)

Crispy Southern-style fried catfish with a flavorful remoulade sauce for a classic, savory dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ For the Catfish

01 - 4 catfish fillets, approximately 6 ounces each
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce
04 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
05 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon paprika
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ For the Remoulade Sauce

13 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
14 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
16 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce
17 - 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
18 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
20 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
21 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
22 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a shallow dish, whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce. Add catfish fillets and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
02 - In another shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Heat approximately 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F.
04 - Remove catfish fillets from the marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Dredge each fillet in the cornmeal mixture, pressing lightly to coat evenly on all surfaces.
05 - Fry fillets in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
06 - In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, pickle relish, lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and chopped parsley. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Arrange fried catfish fillets on a serving plate. Serve hot with remoulade sauce on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The catfish stays impossibly tender inside while the crust shatters like glass, a textural contrast that never gets old.
  • Homemade remoulade beats any bottled version by a country mile, and once you know how to make it, you'll use it on everything.
02 -
  • Oil temperature is everything—I learned this the hard way after pulling out pale, oil-logged fillets that tasted like despair, and now I check with a thermometer every single time.
  • The double-dip trick mentioned in the original notes actually works; if you want extra crunch, return a fillet to the buttermilk and then dredge it again before frying, but understand you'll need more oil because the thicker coating absorbs more.
03 -
  • Keep a splatter screen handy and wear an apron you don't mind staining—hot oil doesn't ask permission before it pops, and the butter has a way of making itself known.
  • If you're frying for a crowd, set up a warming oven at 200°F and keep finished batches there while you work through the rest, which lets everyone eat together rather than in shifts.
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