Oven-Fried Catfish Recipe
Oven-fried catfish recipes provide the perfect balance between baking and frying. There is nothing like enjoying the nutritional value that cooking catfish in the oven brings combined with the delicious taste of fried catfish. These recipes and tips are going to help you create a memorable masterpiece for dinner tonight.
Preparation is the Same as Pan-Frying
Most people are familiar with pan-frying catfish, and the preparation involved. A wet mixture is placed in one bowl, and a dry mixture in another. The catfish are covered in the wet mixture, which is vital to make the dry mixture stick. Then, fillets or catfish nuggets are coated in the dry mixture before being placed in a pan to be fried to perfection. This process remains the same, but instead of placing the fish in a pan to fry them, they are placed in a baking dish and placed in the oven. Those that are skilled at frying catfish can use their favorite recipe. Those that are just learning how to cook catfish will enjoy this oven-fried catfish recipe.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs catfish
- 1 tsp thyme
- 5 cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 tsp onion salt
- 5 tsp garlic salt
- 5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cup whole milk
- Aluminum foil (enough to properly cover the bottom of the pan)
- Non-stick cooking spray (buttered flavor provides extra flavor)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit
- Line the interior of a baking dish with aluminum foil
- Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray. Use enough to ensure that the foil is completely coated with non-stick spray.
- Combine all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly until well blended. Set aside.
- Pour whole milk in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Rinse catfish fillets under warm water and dry using a paper towel.
- Dip one catfish fillet in milk. Let soak for one minute.
- Remove from milk and place fillet in mixing bowl with the dry mixture. Toss until the fillet is thoroughly coated in the dry mixture.
- Place catfish fillet in baking dish.
- Repeat with remaining catfish fillets.
- Place the baking dish inside the oven for fifteen minutes.
Cooking time may vary slightly due to different ovens. When fish is properly cooked, it should flake easily with a fork and be tender. The outside should be a perfect golden brown.
Make It Your Own
This is a recipe that is designed to be universal. It should cater to a variety of tastes and provide a nice dish that will please the entire family. There are a few tweaks that chefs can incorporate to cater to their individual tastes and desires or to use what they already have in the kitchen.
- Any Spice Can be Omitted. Instead of running to the store for a dash of paprika, one can omit that particular spice. Simply add a little extra cornmeal if the dry mixture will not be enough. Keep in mind that this will affect how much flavor the catfish fillet has.
- Make it Spicy. Those that prefer a spicier flavor can add their own favorite spices to create a dish that will set their mouth on fire, just like they want it to. Add in a dash of Cajun seasoning, a sprinkle of red pepper, or a teaspoon of freshly ground red peppers to give this dish a kick.
- Milk Substitutes. If there is no whole milk in the fridge, that is not a problem. Simply use water, another variety of white milk, such as skim milk, or whisk three eggs together in a bowl. Then, use that bowl as directed above. It will work just as well, and still taste delicious.
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