National Catfish Day - Recipe

When I visit my Cajun family in Louisiana, I have Fried Fish as often as possible. And the preferred fish to fry is Catfish. Read on to see my video on how my Mom does it, and most Southern cooks, too. 

There is not a lot to this recipe, just coat raw fish with cornmeal, then fry it in hot oil. The extras are Cajun Seasoning and Garlic Powder. You could make my Southern Fried Fish with simply seasoned Cornmeal using salt and pepper.

I lived on the Gulf Coast of Texas, and everyone fried seafood coated with cornmeal. When we moved to Louisiana, when I started High School, they did the same.

Cornbread Muffin Mix is a cheap, tasty substitute for Cornmeal.

Go to any restaurant, gas station, or grocery with a kitchen in the back, and you will often find Fried Catfish on the menu (especially on Fridays). The crispy, crunchy fried fish comes as part of a plate lunch with slow-cooked veggies.

The second-best way to have Fried Catfish is in a Louisiana sandwich called a Po-Boy. The sandwich is simply dressed in mayo, lettuce, and tomato and served on French bread (or any crunchy crust and soft interior bread roll). You definitely want to try one if you are driving through Louisiana. Of course, use my Fried Catfish recipe for this Po-Boy.

Freshwater Catfish are plentiful in Louisiana rivers and bayous. They are fierce fighters and thick-skinned, so they are not easy to prepare for cooking, so locals just buy them at seafood markets and grocers.

The catfish fillets are deboned and skinless and come ready to fry. The pieces are anywhere from three to six inches long and an inch or so thick.  They are usually farm-raised and mild in taste. When cooked, the flesh is firm but flaky and very moist. 

Catfish is generally a cheaper fish. I can still get it on sale for $3 to $4 per pound.

My recipe is the way my Mom orders it on Fish Fridays from her fave local eatery, Cajun Catch. It's piping hot out of the deep fryer with Tartar and Cocktail Sauce on the side and served with Green Beans and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with a Dinner Roll. By the way, Tarter Sauce is just mayo mixed with pickle relish.

The Swamp Chef casting for catfish.

While Fried Chicken is coated with flour, most Southern Fried Fish is coated with cornmeal. Sometimes it's a combination of half flour and half cornmeal. 

You'll want to spice up the coating by mixing in salt, pepper, and a favorite Cajun Seasonings or Old Bay, and pungent Garlic Powder. If you can't get these season mixes, then make your own with a bit of garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, or red chili powder.

Typically, dried spices for cornmeal or flour when frying.

I've made a simple mix with just salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cornmeal - that's enough for a lot of flavor.

I've met some who do not like cornmeal because it's a bit crumbly, and the flavor's just not for them. Try a half mix of flour and cornmeal if that is the case; you might get away with it. 

You do need an inch or so of oil to fry the coated fish in. I use generic vegetable oil, but you can use any favorite oil. Just make sure the oil is hot when you add the fish, so there is less oil absorption --  it's easy enough to drain the fish once it's fried. I place mine on a wire rack, or you can pat dry with paper napkins.

Just fry until the cornmeal coating is slightly browned. It may be hard to tell as cornmeal is usually yellow, so it doesn't brown as much as white flour. It's easy enough to break off a piece of frying catfish to test - the flesh should be firm and flaky when done.

With medium/hot oil, it should take about 5 minutes to fry cornmeal-coated fish, depending on the size of the fillets. 

Here are some of the best types of seafood to fry: Catfish, Tilapia, Alaskan Cod, Halibut, Striped Bass, Trout, Perch, Shrimp, and Oysters. Try out any local fish you prefer.

My easy Southern Fried Fish recipe is quick to do and so good, you will want to invite the neighbors over for a Fish Fry patio party. Best to serve with a simple Coleslaw or Potato Salad (click on names for my recipes) and a cold brew.

Fried Fish - VIDEO                Play it here, video runs 3 minutes, 29 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients

• Catfish fillets - 10 to 16 ounces. Skin removed and deboned. The fillets are cut into about 3 to 6-inch pieces.
• Cornmeal - 1 cup. Okay to make the mix of half cornmeal and half flour.
• Creole Seasoning - 1 tablespoon. Old Bay seasoning is easy to find as well. A homemade seasoning is a tablespoon each of garlic powder and paprika or red chili powder.
• Garlic Powder - 1 teaspoon.
• Black Pepper to taste - about a teaspoon.  Salt is optional.
• Vegetable Oil - enough to fill the frying pan to an inch deep. About a cup.

Directions

Catfish fillets should be thawed and ready to cook. Add oil to a frying pan over medium/high heat.

Prepare the coating. Add cornmeal to a wide plate. Mix in garlic powder and Creole Seasoning. I like a teaspoon of black pepper too. Salt is optional, as Cajun Seasoning has plenty.

When the oil is hot, it's time to coat the fish in the cornmeal mixture. Add a few pieces of catfish and coat all sides with cornmeal mix. The cornmeal mix should stick to the fish fillets. Press fillets into the mixture if necessary.

Add cornmeal-coated fish fillets to the hot oil. Be careful, as the oil may splatter at first. The typical temperature of oil is around 350 degrees. I just go by looks, if the fish bubbles when it hits the oil, then that's hot enough.  

Allow fish to brown on one side for two to three minutes before turning to cook the other side. Don't move the fish when first added to hot oil or the coating will pull off. If you use a deep fryer, this is not a problem.

Total frying time should not be much more than 5 minutes if the oil is hot enough. It's okay to pull out a piece of fish to check for doneness. The fried fish should be firm and flaky when pulled apart. It should still be moist as well. 

You might not be able to fry all the fish at once, so don't overcrowd the frying pan. As a batch of fish finishes frying, remove and place on a paper towel or a wire rack to drain excess oil.

That's it. Allow to cool for a minute, then dig in. I make a simple Tarter Sauce to go with Fried Fish. Just mix a quarter cup of mayo with a tablespoon of pickle relish.

I like to serve it with Coleslaw or Potato Salad, just click on the names to be directed to my recipes. 

For National Catfish Day, try it fried, just the way this Cheap$kate Internet Chef likes it.

Hot Dog with Potato Salad - Recipe

You can put almost anything on a Hot Dog, and I do, including Potato Salad!

Why stop at mustard when there is ketchup and mayonnaise in the fridge, too. An LA Street Dog has all three plus bacon, sauteed onion, bell pepper, and a fat jalapeno chile. I call it a Freeway Pileup Dog.

I like greasy chili on my wieners, and a pile of sour sauerkraut soaks it all up.

    

Is wrapping a slice of fried baloney around a Hot Dog too much?

It's all good, and my Homemade Potato Salad Recipe is so rich and sumptuous you'll want to cover your Hot Dog with it.

I've never tried the combination of Potato Salad on a Hot Dog until I had a summer patio party with plenty of leftover Potato Salad (too much grilled meat, I guess).

I add a little mustard, chopped onion, and pickle relish to my mayo-centric Potato Salad, so there is a bit of familiarity to typical Hot Dog condiments. 

Other Potato Salad ingredients are chopped celery and boiled egg with plenty of black pepper. Check out my Homemade Potato Salad Recipe in the video below.

I like to steam my wieners, but you can grill or fry them. I also steam the Hot Dog bun for a minute, but do watch carefully as the bun can get soggy really fast. (Because I often buy day-old buns, they can be dry, so a little steaming brings them back softly.)

To assemble, just top a cooked hot dog and bun with a pile of Potato Salad. Hmm, I wonder what a warm, meaty (or vegan) chili would add? I guess that's for the next Hot Dog recipe to find out?

Hot Dog with Potato Salad - Video             Play it here. The video runs for 4 minutes and 14 seconds. 

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients

• Hot Dog - Any type, like beef, pork, poultry, or vegan. There are cured and uncured, with no nitrates.
• Hot Dog Bun - I like to steam mine. Okay to grill or serve right from the bag.
• Potato Salad - About 2 heaping tablespoons per hot dog, or enough to top a hot dog.

Directions

Hot Dog  - I place a steamer basket in a pot with an inch or so of water. Add the wiener(s) and bring the water to a low simmer, then cover the pot. I like to steam mine until plump, about 5 minutes. If you are steaming a lot, then check the water level to refill as needed.

I also steam Hot Dog buns until pillowy and soft. I put a bun or two right on top of my steamed Hot Dogs, cover the pot, and steam the bun for a minute or so. A quick grill on the stovetop softens them quite nicely, too.

Assemble the Hot Dog, and top it with a couple of tablespoons of Potato Salad.

Click here to see my Homemade Potato Salad Recipe with all the tasty text and yummy photo illustrations.

National Potato Day - Recipes and a Reviews

The most humble and one cheap veggie is the tuber or potato. I can get Russet potatoes for way less than a dollar per pound. So there is every reason to celebrate National Potato Day. Be sure to click on any recipe name to see the tasty original blog post recipe.

I'll start my potato recipe roundup with the most soul-satisfying Mashed Potatoes. I make mine the easy way with just boiled potatoes, milk, butter, a lot of black pepper, and a touch of salt. I always serve them with my Thanksgiving Turkey.

Here's my video below (Click on the recipe name above to see my photos and recipe text.)

Carrying on the Mashed Potato theme, my next recipe is from across the pond (Great Britain,) Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie.  Potatoes are at their best when playing second fiddle to the main ingredient, often it's meat.

It's a hearty one-pot meal that has it all. Ground meat, green peas, carrots, onions in a bath of au jus gravy, and topped with mashed potatoes...it's so good. Once assembled, you finish the Shepherd's Pie off in the oven to get a browned topping. The prep work is straightforward, just some veggie chopping and pre-cooking the meat, veggies, and mashing potatoes. See how I do it below.

You can't get more red, white, and blue than a picnic-style chilled Potato Salad. I still make it quite often, too. My version is a Classic Potato Salad. 

Again, the ingredients are cheap, simple, and easy to get. I like the added crunch of finely chopped raw onion and chunks of celery. I make mine extra decadent with the addition of chopped boiled eggs. 

For your next picnic or backyard BBQ, make a cool batch of my Classic Potato Salad. 

This is one of my most controversial recipes, and it's called Mom's Cajun Potato Salad. Mom came to visit me in Los Angeles and I got her to make it. My Mom lives in Louisiana, and she knows her Cajun cooking.

When I saw what she was doing, I had to point out to her that she was making Mashed Potatoes, not Potato Salad!

Well, we had it out and she won, of course, I should have known better butting heads with her. I'll let you make the call if it's mashed or salad-style after watching the recipe video below.

Originating in Central and South America, the potato comes in many varieties and colors. I like red potatoes, but orange sweet potatoes are especially delish. Lately, I've been grilling them more than typically baking in the oven. 

You can grill them just like you would a regular Russet potato. They soften and char quickly and easily. So next time you're at the grill, throw on sliced sweet potato and make Grilled Russet and Sweet Potatoes.

My Cajun nephew Zak works as a cook and learned a great Sweet Potato Hash to go with his classic Blackened Fish recipe. It's a 2'fer you can check out below.

You'll find these Breakfast Potatoes at truck stops and diners just off the interstate almost everywhere. This potato recipe sautes chunky potatoes with a veggie mix of bell pepper, onion, and garlic. They're also called Skillet Potatoes and Home Fries.  Make a big batch, and they reheat fine the next day, too.

I like spuds fried, boiled, and grilled, in the morning, noon, and night. For breakfast, I'll grate a potato to make Old School Hash Browns. 

You may think I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for this Cheap$kate Deal of the Day review of canned Corned Beef Hash from years ago - you know, I kinda liked it, really.

I can't argue with you here; I guess you get what you pay for. But, you know, this canned potato and meat breakfast side is not too bad...really. You can read my review/taste test by clicking right here - reading is believing!

Speaking of Corned Beef, here is a classic St. Patrick's Day dish of Corned Beef and Cabbage - with potatoes, of course.

I make mine with cabbage, carrot, and red potatoes. Normally expensive corned beef drops to half price or less during the holiday. I cook the corned beef first and finish up the dish by boiling the veggies in the broth until tender.

It's actually a very easy recipe to make, just watch it below to see for yourself.

Ribeye Steak and Red Potatoes may be my favorite oven-broiled combination. I usually start the potatoes first because I slice them thick. 

After one side of the potatoes are browned, I throw on the Ribeye. When it's cold outside the oven does double duty by warming up the kitchen, too!

A most unusual tuber is a Yuca. It looks foreboding, but when boiled, it is super tender and very mild in flavor. I first had them at L.A.'s premier Cuban Restaurant, Versailles, served with white rice, black beans, and roast pork.

I buy Yuca from local Latin groceries and even at 99c Only Stores in the frozen deli cases, all peeled and ready to reheat.

I have a most delicious and tangy recipe called Yuca and Mojo Sauce with Onion. 

I had a neighborhood restaurant I would frequent on Sunday mornings for an espresso and a Spanish Omelet to go with my Sunday L.A. Times newspaper. 

A Spanish Omelet is simply scrambled eggs with sliced potatoes. You should sauté the potatoes first, as the eggs only take a couple of minutes to cook.

I have a great Fritatta to start your day. Again, it has sliced potato, but with a Latin pepper called a pasilla or poblano. But don't worry as they are not spicy. They are more like a sweet red or yellow bell pepper.

It's basically an omelet as well, that's finished with a layer of cheese and baked in the oven under the broiler to get a nice cheese-charred topping.

And let's not forget the French Fry, or Chips, as they call them in England. 

The trick to a crispy Fry with a soft center is to fry them twice. Check out my video below of Fish and Chips, and at the end of the video, I show you the frying technique.

I'm always coming up with recipes that include the common potato. So do check back for more eats that feature the most versatile spud.