6 to 8 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
1- and 1/2-pounds catfish
Yellow cornmeal
All-purpose flour
Sugar
Large eggs
2 cans evaporated milk
1-pint heavy whipping cream
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Sweet relish
Vegetable or canola oil
Salted butter
1 pound elbow macaroni
Two 15-ounce cans sweet peas
Shredded parmesan cheese
Two 8-ounce packages mild, sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
Two 8-ounce packages Monterrey jack cheese
2 medium-sized russet potatoes
2 small lemons
Seasonings
1 yellow onion
Celery
Fresh parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s seafood magic
Chef Paul’s poultry magic
Granulated onion
Granulated garlic
Cayenne pepper
Smoked paprika
Tools you’ll need
Large saucepan or deep fryer
Standard 9 by 13-inch glass pan
Thermometer
Cheese shredder
Citrus juicer
Potato peeler
Mesh straining spoon
Whisk
Cooling rack
Preparation of ingredients
Seasonings
Step 1- Chop half of a yellow onion, 2 ribs celery and a small amount of fresh parsley until minced. Make sure you rinse off your celery and parsley before you chop it.
Russet potatoes
Step 2- Peel 2 medium-sized russet potatoes with a potato peeler. Cut the russet potatoes into small bite sized pieces.
Step 3- Place the potato cubes into a large bowl. Fill the bowl up with cold water until the water line passes the potato cubes. Add 1 capful of vinegar. Move the potato cubes around in the vinegar and water solution. This will clean the potato cubes and prevent them from turning brown. Let soak for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 4- Cover the bowl with a lid and drain the water out of the bowl. Once done fill the bowl up once again with cold water. Make sure the water line passes over the top of the potato cubes. Move the potatoes in the water with your hands. Cover the bowl again with a lid and drain the water from the bowl.
Cheeses
Step 5- Shredd two 8-ounce packages of mild, sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese and two 8-ounce packages of Monterrey jack cheese using the cheese shredder. Add the cheeses into 2 separate containers and place into the fridge.
Lemons
Step 6- Cut 1 or 2 small lemons in half. Juice 1 or 2 lemons using the citrus juicer.
Catfish
Step 7- Rinse the catfish off with cold water. If you have any problems with excess water in the catfish gently squeeze each catfish piece.
Step 8- Place the catfish pieces onto a flexible chopping board. Brush the squeezed lemon juice onto both sides of each piece of catfish using a pastry brush. Lightly sprinkle Tony Chachere’s and Chef Paul’s seafood magic onto both sides of the catfish.
Step 9- Add the catfish pieces into a large bowl and cover with a lid. Let catfish marinate in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
Cooking the potato cubes
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 10- Add 1- and 1/2-quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt into a medium-sized pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let water come to a simmer. Add potato cubes and stir. Let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Once the cooking time ends taste test the potato cubes to ensure they are tender.
Step 11- Add the potato cubes into a strainer. Let cool completely.
Boiling the eggs
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 12- Add 1- and 1/2-quarts water into a medium-sized pot. Let the water come to a simmer. Carefully add 5 large eggs into the simmering water. Let simmer for 12 minutes.
Step 13- Remove the eggs from the simmering water and add them into a medium-sized bowl filled with 2 and 1/2 cups water with ice in it. This will stop the cooking process of the eggs. Let the eggs cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cooking the green peas
Note- This can be made 1 to 2 days in advance.
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 14- Add two 15-ounce cans peas, 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1/4 cup sugar and 5 tablespoons salted butter into a medium-sized pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn your fire off. Let the peas cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Removing the egg shells from the boiled eggs
Step 15- Hit the top of bottom portion of each boiled egg using the end of a butter knife. This will crack the eggshell.
Step 16- Rinse the boiled eggs off with cold water while peeling the shell off the of boiled egg.
Separating the egg whites from the egg yolks
Step 17- Cut an incision going around the egg white and open the egg. Remove the egg yolk and place that into a small bowl. Take the egg whites and place them onto a large chopping board.
Step 18- Chop egg whites really well with a knife until minced. Mash the egg yolks in the small bowl with a small spoon.
Step 19- Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons mustard into small bowl with mashed egg yolks. Stir vigoursly with a whisk for 30 seconds or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Assembling the potato salad
Note- The potato salad can be made 1 to 2 days in advance. For best results make the potato salad the day before serving.
Step 20- Add cooled potato cubes, finely chopped egg whites, 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/3 cup sweet relish, and 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley into a medium-sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together.
Step 21- Add whipped mayonnaise, mustard and egg yolk mixture, 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, Stir all ingredients really well with a sturdy spoon until combined.
Step 22- Spread the potato salad around the baking pan as evenly as possible. Lightly sprinkle Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning and fresh parsley on top of the potato salad. Cover the bowl with a lid. Place into fridge for 4 to 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Elbow macaroni
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 23- Add 3- and 1/2-quarts water 2 teaspoons salt and 1 pound elbow macaroni into a large 8-quart pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let simmer for 7 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally.
Step 24- Add the cooked elbow macaroni into a strainer. Rinse elbow macaroni off with cold water. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Making the cheese sauce
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 25- Add 2 cups evaporated milk, 2 cups heavy whipping cream, 6 tablespoons salted butter, 1-and 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour into a medium-sized pot. Stir all ingredients together. Allow the butter to melt.
Turn fire down from medium-to-medium low heat.
Step 26- Add 1 pound shredded mild, sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, 1-pound shredded Monterrey jack cheese and 1 heaping tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese. Stir continuously with a large wooder spoon until the cheese melts into the milk and cream mixture. If you want to add eggs to the cheese sauce, turn your fire off, add 2 large eggs (Room temp) into a cheese sauce and stir until well combined.
Assembling the Macaroni and cheese
Step 27- Add cooked elbow macaroni and cheese sauce into a large 8-quart pot. Stir all ingredients really well with a wooden spoon until combined.
Baking the macaroni and cheese
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
Step 28- Spread 1 tablespoon softened salted butter around the bottom and sides of your baking pan. Add prepared macaroni and cheese mixture into your baking pan. Spread around as evenly as possible. To make the macaroni more even shake your baking pan.
Step 29- Place into a preheated 375-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Once the baking time has ended remove the macaroni from the oven. Let the macaroni cool for 45 minutes before serving.
Seasoned egg batter
Step 30- Add 3 large eggs (Room temp), 1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon chef Paul’s seafood magic into a medium sized bowl. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined.
Seasoned all-purpose flour batter
Step 31- Add 1 and 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal, 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 3 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon chef Paul’s seafood magic, 1 teaspoon chef Paul’s poultry magic, 2 teaspoons granulated onion and 2 teaspoons granulated garlic and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper into a large bowl. Stir all ingredients really well until combined.
Heating the oil
If you are using a large saucepan, preheat fire to medium heat. If you have a deep fryer, preheat it to 375 degrees.
Step 32- Add 48 fluid ounces or vegetable or canola oil into the saucepan. If you are using a deep fryer, add the amount of oil according to your fryers instructional manual to determine how much oil to add. Let the oil get hot until the temperature reaches 375 degrees F.
Battering the catfish
Note- Make sure you have a colling rack with an 11 by 17-inch baking pan ready before frying the catfish.
Step 33- Add the catfish pieces 2 at a time into the seasoned egg mixture. Coat the catfish pieces with the egg mixture. Shake the catfish pieces as you want a light coating.
Step 34- Add the catfish pieces into the seasoned yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour batter. Cover the bowl with a lid. Shake the bowl to coat the catfish pieces with the seasoned yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour batter. Shake each piece of breaded catfish as we want a light coating.
Double dip step 34A- You can double dip the catfish pieces by removing the catfish from the dry batter and placing it into seasoned egg batter. Coat the catfish pieces with the seasoned egg batter. Transfer the catfish pieces into the seasoned yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour batter. Cover the bowl with a lid and shake the bowl to coat the catfish pieces again with the seasoned yellow cornmeal and add purpose flour batter.
Step 35- Add the catfish pieces into the hot oil. Let fry for 4 to 5 minutes. After the frying time as ended, remove the catfish pieces from the hot oil using a mesh straining spoon. Wait for a few seconds to allow some of the oil to drain. From there transfer the catfish pieces onto a cooling rack with an 11 by 17-inch baking pan underneath it. Let the catfish cool for 5 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
