Description
These Catfish Nuggets are a Southern delicacy, y’all! Cornmeal crusted and fried to deep, golden perfection- these nuggets are the perfect appetizer, light lunch, or dinner. From the buttermilk soak to the Cajun-spiced dredge, the catfish is extra flavorful and easy to bring together. These crispy catfish nuggets are served with a zesty and creamy Cajun sauce for dipping, and it’s almost too good!
Ingredients
For the fried catfish:
- 1 ½ lbs catfish fillets (about 4 fillets), cut into nugget-sized pieces
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought– divided
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Oil, for deep frying (we use peanut oil)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
For the Cajun dipping sauce:
- ½ cup full-fat mayonnaise (we love Duke’s!)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Prep the Cajun dipping sauce. In a small bowl or container, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic paste, lemon juice, and Cajun seasoning. Stir the mixture well to thoroughly combine. Cover the vessel with a lid and transfer to the fridge until ready to serve with the fried catfish.
- Prep & soak the catfish pieces. Place the catfish pieces into a large resealable bag or vessel. Add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, and ground mustard. Use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to toss the mixture until well combined and coated. Then close the bag/cover the vessel. Transfer the catfish to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or more preferably overnight.
- Take the catfish out. When ready to fry, remove the catfish from the fridge and let it sit out on the counter to take some of the chill off while you prep the flour dredge and preheat the oil, steps below.
- Prep the flour dredge. In a large shallow pie plate or bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, and 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning and whisk the mixture until well combined.
- Heat the oil. In a large heavy-bottomed dutch oven or cast-iron pot over medium heat, add a few inches of oil, enough for deep frying where the catfish pieces can float. For optimal precision, use a deep-fry thermometer to heat the oil to 350°F. Meanwhile, set a medium baking sheet fitted with a wire rack aside.
- Dredge the catfish & rest. Back to the catfish, take a piece from the buttermilk soak, shake off excess liquid, and dip it into the seasoned flour mixture. Be sure to dredge the catfish well, filling in all un-floured gaps and crevices, and then shake off any excess. Set the dredged catfish piece onto the baking sheet. Repeat this process until all the catfish pieces are fully coated and on the baking sheet resting- side by side but not touching.
- Fry the catfish. Once the oil temperature of 350°F is reached, we’re ready to fry. Work in batches as needed to prevent overcrowding, carefully drop the dredged catfish pieces into the hot oil. Let the catfish deep fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes or longer if you prefer your catfish fried extra hard. Then use a spider strainer to transfer the fried catfish nuggets to a paper towel-lined plate or a clean baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to drain. Ensure that the oil temperature is at 350°F and then repeat the process with the remaining catfish, if needed. Let the catfish rest for 5-7 minutes before serving.
- Serve the fried catfish nuggets alongside the Cajun dipping sauce with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.