2 to 4 serving
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
2- or 3-pounds Catfish nuggets
Yellow cornmeal
All-purpose flour
Large eggs (Room temp)
2 or 3 large lemons
Zatarain’s creole mustard
Seasonings
Salt
Black pepper
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning
Chef Paul’s seafood magic
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Dried thyme
Zatarain’s crab boil (Optional)
Vegetable or Canola oil
Tools you’ll need
4-quart pot or deep fryer
Thermometer (If you are using a pot)
Cooling rack
Citrus juicer
Preparation of ingredients
Catfish nuggets
Step 1- Add catfish nuggets into a large strainer and rinse with cold water. Inspect the catfish and remove any bones that might be present. From there add the catfish nuggets into a large bowl and set aside.
Lemons
Step 2- Rinse 2 or 3 large lemons. Cut them into halves. Juice each half of a lemon using a manual citrus juicer. Strain the juice by pouring it into a strainer with a measuring cup underneath it. Should have 1/3 or 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice left over.
Marinating the catfish nuggets
Step 3- Add 3 teaspoons Zatarain’s crab boil or Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 or 2 teaspoons chef Paul’s seafood magic, 2 or 3 teaspoons onion powder, 2 or 3 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/2 or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 4 teaspoons Zatarain’s creole mustard and 1/3 or 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice onto the catfish nuggets. Coat all the seasonings, mustard and lemon juice onto the catfish nuggets. Cover with lid and place into fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Seasoned egg batter
Step 4- Add 4 large eggs (Room temp), 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon onion powder and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder into a medium-sized bowl. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined and set aside.
Seasoned all-purpose cornmeal batter.
Step 5- Add 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 or 3 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, 1 or 2 teaspoons chef Paul’s seafood magic, 2 or 3 teaspoons onion powder, 2 or 3 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme into a large tubber ware bowl with lid. Stir all ingredients together until combined and set aside.
Heating the oil
Preheat fire to medium heat. If you are using a deep fryer preheat it to 375-degrees.
Step 6- Add 48 Fl oz’s vegetable or canola oil into a medium-sized 4-quart pot. If you are using a deep fryer, add oil according to the deep fryer’s instructional manual on how much oil to add. Let the oil get hot until it reaches a temperature of 375-degrees.
Frying the fish
Note- Make sure you have a cooling rack with a pan underneath it ready before frying the fish. Also make sure you let the fish sit out for 20 to 25 minutes before frying. This will allow the fish to warm up some and not be so cold adding it into the hot oil.
Step 7- Add Catfish nuggets into the seasoned egg batter and coat the fish in the batter. Remove and shake as you want a light coating. From there add the catfish nuggets into the seasoned all-purpose and cornmeal flour batter and cover bowl with lid. Shake bowl to coat the catfish nuggets with the batter. Remove catfish from batter and shake slightly.
Step 8- Add catfish nuggets into hot oil. Let fry for 4 minutes. Remove catfish from hot oil using a mesh straining spoon. Transfer catfish nuggets onto a cooling rack with an 11 by 17-inch baking pan underneath it. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
