Arnold's chef Kahlil Arnold brines catfish before dredging it in seasoned cornmeal to keep it super moist.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Special Equipment
Step 1
Whisk 3 tablespoons salt, hot pepper sauce, and 8 cups hot water in a large bowl until salt dissolves. Chill in freezer until cold, about 30 minutes. Place catfish in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Step 2
Whisk cornmeal, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Attach deep-fry thermometer to the side of a 10" cast-iron skillet or other large heavy skillet. Add oil to come a little less than halfway up side of skillet. Heat over medium heat until thermometer reads 335°F.
Step 3
Rinse catfish; pat dry. Dredge catfish in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Working with 2 fillets at a time, fry catfish, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, 10-12 minutes per batch. Transfer fish to paper towels to drain.
Leave a Review
Reviews (3)
Back to TopExcellent. Will be my go-to for catfish. Crispy, moist. delicious. Swapped in almond flour for AP flour. Worked like a charm. Served with garden fresh tomatoes stewed with okra. Quick tip for the brine: swap half of the hot water for ice. Melt salt into hot water, add ice in. Mixture will cool down quickly and you can skip the 30 minutes in the freezer.
erinsf
Austin, TX
7/9/2019
Wonderful recipe! I was short on cornmeal, so did about half flour, which was fine in a pinch. I'm guessing that the additional crunch from the cornmeal will make a great recipe even better! Spicing is excellent, but I think the real key to this recipe was brining the fish prior to cooking. Terrific!
skinny46
Sioux Falls, SD
3/25/2014
这道菜很好工作。我想duplicate the recipe from the movie, however this one, which doesn't use beaten egg in the batter, is delicious. I wasn't sure if cornmeal or flour would make the best fried catfish. I thought the movie used flour, but I liked the crunch of the cornmeal.
Anonymous
Boston, MA
3/7/2013
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