Old Timber Outdoors
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Catfish nuggets, skinless belly and trim pieces

Buttermilk Fried Catfish Nuggets

Bite-size catfish soaked in hot-sauce buttermilk, coated in seasoned cornmeal and deep-fried until crisp.

Serves
4
Hands-on
45 min
Total
1 hr 20 min
Skill
Some experience

Cooks on: Stovetop · Dinner, Snack, Appetizer

Ingredients

  • 2 lbCatfish nuggets, skinless belly and trim pieces, cut into roughly 1½-inch pieces
  • ½ cupFlour
  • 1Lemon, cut into wedges
  • 2 tspSalt, divided
  • 1 tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 6 cups neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, for frying

You'll need

  • Dutch oven
  • Stovetop
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Sheet pan with wire rack

Contains

Fish, Gluten, Dairy. Buttermilk is a dairy product. Hot sauce brands vary. Check the label.

Method

  1. Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce and 1 tsp of the salt in a bowl. Add the catfish, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).
  2. In a wide dish, mix the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, cayenne, pepper and the remaining 1 tsp salt.
  3. Pour the oil into the Dutch oven (no more than one third full) and heat it over medium-high heat to 350°F. Set the wire rack in the sheet pan next to the stove.
  4. Lift the catfish pieces from the buttermilk, let them drip, and toss them in the coating, pressing so it sticks.
  5. Fry in small batches without crowding, 3 to 4 minutes, until deep golden. Check the largest piece: it should flake easily and read 145°F. Drain on the rack, and let the oil come back to 350°F before the next batch.
  6. Serve hot with the lemon wedges. Let the oil cool completely in the pot before moving it.

When it's done: 145°F

Federal guidance: 145°F, or until the flesh is no longer translucent and separates easily with a fork.

If it goes wrong

Greasy coating
The oil was too cool. Fry fewer pieces at a time and let the oil recover to 350°F between batches.
Dark outside before the center is done
The oil is too hot. Lower the heat a little and cut very thick pieces in half.
Coating falling off
Let the extra buttermilk drip off first, and do not move the pieces for the first minute in the oil.

Leftovers. Serve right away while crisp. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F on a rack in a 400°F oven.