Southern Fried Catfish

Oolala's Note:

From Louis Osteen's Charlston Cuisine, Recipes from a Lowcountry Chef." His restaurant is Louis's in Charlston. This has buttermilk, flour, cornmeal, rice flour, beer, some spices and is fried in peanut oil. Can use 8 (4 oz. each) fillets or 4 (8 oz. each) fillets. You need 2 hours of marinating and then 3o minutes chilling so prepare accordingly. I can't wait to try this!

• Total Time: 2 hrs 55 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup beer, do NOT use dark beer
• 2 lbs catfish fillets, split down the middle
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
• peanut oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Combine buttermilk and beer in a nonreactive bowl.
2. Add the catfish fillets and refrigerate for 2 hours, BUT NO LONGER.
3. Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, rice flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
4. Drain fillets and toss them lightly in the breading mixture to coat them.
5. Place the breaded fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and don't let the fillets touch. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
7. On the stove, pour enough oil into a heavy skillet so that it is 2 inches deep and heat it so that it is 355 degrees F. on a frying thermometer.
8. Carefully drop fillets in, 2 at a time and fry them for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until they are just golden.
9. Remove the fillets with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain.
10. Transfer the fillets to a platter and keep warm in the preheated oven until they are all fried.
11. Work quickly so that they don't get overdone and serve immediately.