Fried Catfish Po' Boy Recipe

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Fried catfish was one of my grandmother's favorites, and since I began cooking professionally, I've put this fish through several iterations to try and get it where I can call it a favorite. With this fried sandwich, I think I've gotten there.

There are some key aspects here, namely soaking the fish in buttermilk and throwing it through corn flake crumbs. I found these crumbs next to other breadcrumbs at the grocery store, but worst-case scenario you can run normal corn flake through a blender.

Corn flake crumbs and catfish are a perfect pair, and the buttermilk helps neutralize potentially scuzzy pond flavors. The fat in buttermilk also helps flour adhere to the fish. Combined with an egg wash followed by a coating of corn flakes, and the result is a very crispy, very tasty fish.

For the flour mix, to boost flavor, it helps to add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite fish spice rub. I went with The Provider Spawn, which is a fragrant blend of ginger and soy and other spices that go well with fish.

Obviously, the source from which you pull your catfish and potentially the season (think: warm-water catfish versus cooler-water fall catfish) can affect the flavor. Another technique for reducing potentially adverse taste is to freeze the fillets in water for at least a week. The minerals in the water will curb flavor notes that might make non-catfish eaters wince.

Lastly, the sauce here is key, and I would suggest replicating it exactly, even down to the creamy horseradish from St. Elmo Steak House. You should be able to find Huy Fong Sriracha sauce in most stores, and please know that even when adding this to the sauce, the sauce, in the end, is not spicy. I fed it to my 4-year-old with zero comments.

Of course, you can used store-bought catfish for the recipe, and truth be told, you can use any white-flesh fish. Walleye, any species of sunfish, even bass (sorry, tournament anglers)—all would work great here.

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Catfish Po' Boy Ingredients:

• Two catfish fillets, 6–8 ounces each
• 1 pint buttermilk
• Two French bread or comparable loaves (6-inch loaves)
• Shredded lettuce
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced red onions

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons nonpareil capers, blended
• 1 1/2 tablespoons diced shallots (one average-size shallot should work), blended
• 1 tablespoon St. Elmo Steak House Creamy Horseradish
• 1 tablespoon sweet relish, blended
• 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard

Flour Dredge Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons The Provider Spawn spice rub or other favorite rub
• Two eggs, beaten for egg wash
• 2 cups Kelloggs Corn Flakes crumbs
• Sunflower oil (or similar smoking-point cooking oil)
• 1 tablespoon sweet relish, blended
• 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard

Directions:

Any questions or comments? Message Hennessy on Instagram: @WildGameJack