Ken's Beer Batter Fried Catfish

BakinBaby's Note:

DH loves to fish, and when he brings home a "catch", this is the first recipe we go to, of coarse I have to quick grab the 1/2 cup of beer before he gets to it. You can add or delete the seasonings as your taste sees fit,Soaking in buttermilk, is the key to kicking the "fishy" taste, but this is an optional step. The original recipe comes from Ryan Newman. Prep time does not include chill time.

• Total Time: 8 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

BATTER

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup beer (room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano (dried-optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

CATFISH

• 1/2 lb catfish fillet
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (optional, you can also use milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• vegetable oil

Directions:

1. BATTER:.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour,cornstarch & your choice of seasonings,baking powder,salt and pepper, whisk in beer & egg until smooth, cover & refrigerate 1-2 hours.
3. CATFISH:.
4. Soak fillets in 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/3 cup buttermilk or milk (optional step).
5. COOKING:.
6. When ready to cook, in a deep skillet, heat oil (about 3" deep) to 375 degrees.
7. Allow fillets to drip dry then lightly dab them with a paper towel to insure they are not wet, dip fillets in batter, lift strips with tongs, draining excess batter, then place catfish in oil several pieces at a time (do not over crowd fillets).
8. Fry until well browned on all sides (about 3 min.), remove and drain on paper towels.

Reviews

[Catnip46]

I give this a 5 star. Loved it! I decided to make this last minute so I didn't have time to let the batter sit for 1-2 hrs. also did not soak fish in milk. Next time I'll thin my batter a little bit more as mine was a little to thick, not your fault, mine. I didn't want to waste what batter I had left so I fried it up like a pancake and give it to my dogs as a treat, they love it. I'm going to use this batter for other things too.

[threeovens]

I used this batter on calamari, shrimp and some onion rings. It worked out very well.

[weekend cooker]

A real nice easy meal here. So simple too. Used all the options except the red pepper flakes, and opted to soak them in buttermilk, rather than regular milk. I am going to have to try this again, when I get time to fish by my house. I am bout 2 miles from a river with tons of catfish. Made for new Zaar.