Catfish Classique

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon 
• 1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 5 cups canola oil 
• 1 large eggs lightly beaten
• 16 ounce catfish filets 
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 2 tablespoons flour 
• 1 teaspoon garlic fresh minced
• 0.3 cup spring onion sliced
• 0.8 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 1 cup milk 2% reduced-fat
• 0.8 cup beef broth fat-free
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk 
• 0.5 cup onion finely chopped
• 1 pound shrimp deveined peeled
• 1.3 cups cornmeal plain yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 25
2. Place 1 cup flour in a shallow dish or bowl.
3. Combine cornmeal, 2 tablespoons flour, and pepper in a second shallow dish, stirring well with a whisk.
4. Combine buttermilk and egg in a third shallow bowl or dish, stirring well with a whisk.
5. Heat oil to 385 in a Dutch oven.
6. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dredge 2 fillets in flour. Dip in buttermilk mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture. Fry breaded fillets for 5 minutes or until golden brown and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
7. Place fried fillets on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan, and keep warm in a 250 oven. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets, flour, buttermilk mixture, and cornmeal mixture.
8. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.
9. Remove bacon from pan; crumble.
10. Add butter to drippings in pan.
11. Add shrimp; saut 3 to 5 minutes or until done.
12. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm.
13. Add onion to pan; saut 3 minutes or until tender.
14. Add garlic; saut 30 seconds.
15. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, broth, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.
16. Place 1 catfish fillet on each of 6 plates; top each serving with about 1/3 cup sauce, 3 shrimp, 2 teaspoons green onions, and crumbled bacon.
17. Serve immediately.