Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Stone-Ground Catfish Curls with Tabasco Tartar Sauce

Catfish always tastes better when the portion size of the fish filets are thinner. Filleting the catfish horizontally and then slicing them lengthwise creating what I call “Curls” accomplishes this task better than anything I’ve found. Find locally milled stone-ground meal and keep it in the freezer. This preparation works when feeding a crowd at a fish fry, too.

Ingredients

1 pound           Catfish Curls

1 1/ 2 cups       Stone-ground Cornmeal

1 /2 cup           Corn Flour

3 Tbsp              Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

3 Tbsp              Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Tabasco Tartar Sauce recipe

Instructions

Peanut Oil for frying

Heat oil in cast iron skillet to 350 degrees.

To make catfish curls, take 5-7 ounce catfish filets and place them in the freezer until they become half frozen. This makes them easier to slice. Cut the filets in half horizontally (your knife blade should run parallel to the cutting board). This creates a thing filet. Then cut the filet in half lengthwise with the knife blade running perpendicular to the cutting board.

Combine cornmeal, Lawry’s and lemon pepper. Dredge catfish strips in the cornmeal mixture, making sure filets are evenly coated with the cornmeal mixture.

Carefully drop the strips into the fryer in small batches.  Fry until golden (about six minutes), remove, drain and serve.

Repeat the frying process until all the strips are fried. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Recent Recipes

Honey Bundt Cake

This bundt cake brings back memories of family gatherings on Bellewood Drive where sweets were as much a part of the celebration as the presents under the tree. The warm notes of cinnamon and honey make it a natural fit for holiday mornings or as the perfect finish to a Christmas feast. The pomegranate glaze adds a bright, tart finish that keeps things interesting. Make sure to grease every nook and cranny of your bundt pan thoroughly. Use butter and dust with flour for a clean release. Also, letting the cake cool for a solid twenty minutes before flipping is key to avoiding a sticky mess.

Read more

Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs

Serves 6 Preheat oven to 375° F On a bias, slice half-inch thick slices of bread. Place the bread in…

Read more

Salsa

Makes about 3 cups Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse several…

Read more