Classic Fried Catfish

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups buttermilk 
• 24 oz catfish fillets 
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.3 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper black
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 0.3 teaspoon hot sauce 
• 0.3 cup i would have liked to use an version of masa but i couldn't find one at the time of making the tamal corn flour
• 8 servings vegetable oil; peanut oil preferred 
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 0.3 cup cornmeal plain yellow

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• baking pan

Directions

1. Whisk together buttermilk and hot sauce.
2. Place catfish in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish; pour buttermilk mixture over fish. Cover and chill 8 hours, turning once.
3. Combine cornmeal and next 6 ingredients in a shallow dish.
4. Let fish stand at room temperature 10 minutes.
5. Remove from buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge fish in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.
6. Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a large, deep cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet; heat to 36
7. Fry fish, in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
8. Transfer to a wire rack on a paper towel-lined jelly-roll pan. Keep warm in a 225 oven until ready to serve.
9. *All-purpose flour or plain yellow cornmeal may be substituted.