Fried Catfish

Fried catfish — channel catfish fillets or whole fish coated in seasoned cornmeal and fried until deeply golden — is the fish of the American South and the centrepiece of the Southern fish fry, a communal outdoor event that serves the same social function as the Carolina whole hog, the Louisiana crawfish boil, and the New England clambake. Catfish are bottom-feeders native to every Southern river system and historically one of the cheapest proteins available; the fish fry was the gathering format for Black Southern communities where fried catfish, hush puppies, and coleslaw fed a crowd for almost nothing. The farm-raised catfish industry (centred in Mississippi's Delta region) now produces the majority of the catfish consumed in America, but the wild-caught river catfish of the African American fish fry tradition remains the cultural standard.

Catfish fillets (or whole catfish, for those who prefer dealing with bones) dredged in seasoned yellow cornmeal — not flour, not breadcrumbs — and fried in hot oil (175°C) until the cornmeal crust is deeply golden and audibly crispy and the fish inside is moist, white, and flaky. The cornmeal coating should be thin, even, and crackly — not thick and bready. The catfish's flavour is mild, slightly sweet, and earthy; the cornmeal provides the crunch and the corn flavour that defines the dish.

Hush puppies (AM5-09). Coleslaw. Tartar sauce. Lemon wedges. Hot sauce. White bread. French fries or baked beans. Cold beer. The fish fry plate.