Fried Catfish! Don’t you love it? We have a recipe from Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites for fried catfish. You need to be sure and have all your other side dishes ready and steaming on the table when you get the catfish out of the cooking oil and drained for serving. There is nothing much to recommend cold fish!
From A Taste of Heaven, published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda, a recipe for Shrimp Scampi and Angel Hair calls for a pound of deveined and peeled shrimp.
From a Summerville, SC, reader we have Isabel Beach’s Salmon Patties. It is very simple and very good. You can add a pot of grits and a vegetable and enjoy a wonderfully simple and delicious meal.
From Jane Bradley’s book Southern Style, we have Chesapeake Crab Imperial. This Maryland classic is enjoyed wherever fresh crab is available. It is equally well suited for formal, sit-down dinners or informal buffets. Note that Jane gives you the option of either using the crab shells or a casserole when you bake.
Emily Meggett says, “Most people recognize hushpuppies as the can’t-miss side for fried fish and other types of seafood. I’m one of those people. I enjoy eating hushpuppies with any fried seafood dish. These crisped balls of cornmeal are a lot like cornbread, but their perfectly soft interior and crispy exterior separates them from other cornmeal-based sides. Mine are similar to what you’d find in a southern restaurant.” This recipe serves 6 to 8.
FRIED CATFISH
Recipe from Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites
6 (4- to 6-ounce) catfish fillets
2 cups milk
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil
Garnish: lemon wedges
Place catfish fillets in a single layer in a shallow dish; cover with milk. Cover and chill 1 hour. Combine cornmeal and next four ingredients in a shallow dish. Remove catfish fillets from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Remove from milk, allowing excess to drip off. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Dredge catfish fillets in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Pour oil to depth of 1-1/2 inches into a large skillet. Heat to 350 degrees. Fry fillets in batches about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on wire racks over paper towels. Garnish, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
PHYLLIS GASS’ SCAMPI AND ANGEL HAIR
Recipe from A Taste of Heaven
Published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda
1 3/4 cup defatted chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped fine
4 tablespoons scallions, chopped (divided)
4 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped (divided)
1/2 pound dry angel-hair pasta
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. In a large sauce pan, combine: broth, garlic and 3 tablespoons each of scallions and parsley. Bring slowly to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook according to directions. Add shrimp to broth, stir well and cook for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through. Add remaining scallions. Drain pasta; divide evenly among large shallow plates. Arrange shrimp over pasta and spoon “broth sauce” over shrimp. Sprinkle with pepper. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
ISABEL BEACH’S SALMON PATTIES
Recipe from Reader of The Apopka Chief and Planter Newspapers
Olive oil for frying
Small can salmon, undrained
2 slices white bread
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 tablespoon flour
1 egg
Salt and pepper (to taste, as needed)
Tear up bread, into small pieces. Combine with other ingredients. Mix well, so as to crumble bread better, plus keeping the juice along with the salmon. Pour about 1/4-cup olive oil in frying pan. Form soft patties, three at a time, to fry slowly on medium heat, turning once carefully, making sure they don’t break apart. Then raise heat just a tiny bit more than medium. Serve hot.
CHESAPEAKE CRAB IMPERIAL
Recipe from Southern Style by Jane Bradley
2 pounds backfin crabmeat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pimento, minced
2 tablespoons capers, minced
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon mayonnaise per shell (2 tablespoons for casserole)
Paprika for garnish
Butter for shells or casserole
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pick any bits of shell or cartilage out of crab. Place crab in a large bowl and set aside. 2) In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, pimento, capers, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and blend well. 3) Add this mixture to the prepared crab and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the crab, being careful not to flake the crabmeat. 4) Divide the crab imperial between 8 buttered shells … or… pour into a 2-quart casserole. 5) Coat filled shells or casserole with mayonnaise and sprinkle with paprika. 6) Place shells on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes (20 to 25 minutes if using casserole), or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Serves: 8
EMILY MEGGETT’S HUSHPUPPIES
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup vegetable oil, plus 2 cups for frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 cups milk, whole or 2-percent
1 cup grated onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1) In a large mixing bowl, use a spoon to beat together the egg, sugar, and 1 cup of the oil. 2) Add the flour, salt, cornmeal, and baking powder. Mix well. 3) Add the milk and mix. Add the onion, bell pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix the ingredients together until well combined. 4) In a large skillet, heat 2 cups oil over high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, reduce the heat to medium. In batches, take heaping tablespoons of the cornmeal mixture and drop them in the oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. You’ll know they’re done when the hushpuppies float. Drain the hushpuppies on a plate covered with a paper towel, and serve.
