Beer-Battered Catfish (With Tartar Sauce)

Greetings, lovers of food! I usually write down all of my vegetarian and vegan-based recipes but now I’ve got one for the omnivorous among us—a southern variation on beer-battered fish with its own home-made tartar sauce.

This recipe makes four portions—serving four people if sides are included and two especially gluttonous fried fish lovers if by itself (or one, in the case of me! XD).

Below you’ll find instructions and lists of everything you’ll need!

Ingredients: (For the catfish and batter portion)

-2 Filets of catfish (about 16 oz of meat), divided into portions while raw

-½ cup of your favorite pale ale or lager (I used Deschutes Pacific Wonderland Lager!)

-1 cup of self-rising flour (divided into ½ cup portions)

-½ cup of fine corn flour

-teaspoon of salt

-teaspoon of pepper

-Plenty of your favorite frying oil (I used canola for this)

-Old Bay seasoning~



Ingredients: (For the Tartar sauce)

-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

-1 sandwich-sliced kosher dill pickle diced finely

-1 shallot (or an ounce of red onion) diced finely

-teaspoon of smoked paprika

- ½ teaspoon each of finely-chopped parsley, tomato paste





Equipment:

-Deep frying pan or skillet

-A good knife for dicing + sturdy cutting board

-2 small bowls (1 for batter-dipping, 1 for corn flour dredging)

-Spatula

-Small baggie (ziploc will do!)

-Small sauce bowl (for your tartar!)



How Do:

First, divide up your catfish filets into portions by cutting each in half. Take half of your self-rising flour and put it into your baggie; place fish pieces in the baggie and shake and this will start them out coated in a flour dredge.

Take the other half of your flour, mix in your salt and pepper before stirring in your half cup of beer. Stir it well until it has no lumps and has made a pancake-y batter. Dip your dredged fish pieces in this batter on each side, making sure they’re well-covered.

Transfer your battered fish to your second bowl to dredge them in your corn flour. This gives the batter extra crunchiness when fried. Once you’ve got all dredges and batter on the catfish, heat up your pan/skillet with a quarter inch of oil in it—make sure droplets of water sizzle off before putting the fish in. Fry the fish for about 7 minutes on each side until golden-brown. Let them blot on a paper towel and sprinkle with Old Bay.

For the tartar sauce, begin by finely dicing up your pickle and your shallot (or onion). Mix them in gently with your mayonnaise before adding smoked paprika, parsley and tomato paste—after adding these ingredients mix it thoroughly until the sauce takes on a light pink shade. Store in refrigeration until ready to serve with the fish.

Optional—and shown here—plate up your fried catfish with an edible garnish of fresh tomato slices and liberally apply your tartar sauce. Drink rest of beer you used to make the batter. Snarf up everything (unless there are others hungry—in which case snarf up only your portion! XD).

For those that don’t care for catfish flavor, a tasty substitution can be made of tilapia or pollock!