My favorite seafood dish is deep fried catfish. My best recipe uses a corn meal based breading and then spiced to taste. First you want to find a catfish that is raised or caught locally so it is fresh and retains the sweet tender flakiness. I always take the whole catfish, minus the head of course. This retains the flavor the best. The cornmeal mix is mixed with coarse black pepper, a touch of cayenne pepper, touch of garlic, salt, onion powder and paprika. You need to experiment with the amounts to match your taste. Some like it spicier so put in more cayenne and paprika. Next remove the skin from the whole catfish and then roll it in an egg and milk mix. Then coat it in the cornmeal mix. Immediately drop into hot oil and fry it until it is golden brown. Serve it with a slice of lemon and tartar sauce.

This is such a good way to cook and eat catfish. The use of local fish is important and one reason I agree with the positiveness of domestic seafood sustainability. You never know what you might be buying in a frozen shipped in fish I always say if “the source is known, it is local and fresh.” I would love to enter my catfish into the Great American Seafood Cook off. I think it would fare well in a competition of recipes I would be up against in a cook off. Well a girl can dream can’t she?