Air Fryer Catfish Fry
I have finally done it. I have managed to get catfish on Catfish Out of Water. It seems like about time? I've had this blog about a year now. And, as much as I named this blog after my cat? I have never actually had catfish. Let alone a catfish fry.
I almost had catfish once. In fact, I actually caught a catfish. I was probably in middle school or maybe early high school at the time. We flew back to our grandma and aunt's house back in Michigan and, of course, went fishing on Lake Michigan. Now, not having grown up here? I could not fish. The phrase, "It's fishing, not catching" completely alluded me. And I obviously was not old enough to know the virtues of cracking open a beer and having a lackadaisical day on the lake. Which, also, is absolutely not comparable to an ocean. Even if you can't see the other side.
Nevertheless, I somehow ended up fishing and also ended up being the only one to lose a bobber, which I swear cannot be my fault because I didn't attach it, cast my own line, or do anything other than at one point hold the pole. I also somehow managed to be the only one to actually catch a fish... A catfish no less!
My cousin's father said that catfish don't taste good and threw it back. His neighbor, upon hearing this story, was aghast and said that he simply wasn't cooking them correctly.
My childhood self was greatly perturbed by this. And probably never forgave this man for depriving me of the opportunity to even attempt to eat my fish. After all, was that not the entire point of this endeavor??
Either way, I have never actually had the pleasure of having catfish. And assume that it is supposed to be fried like cod? Do you fish fry catfish??
I do not know, but I fish fried catfish!
Gallery
I did feed the rest of the catfish to my actual cat. And the other cat. And the dog. They all are quite fond of fish. Esmérelda even pulled it out of the grocery bag for me. And promptly demanded her own fillet.
Variations of Catfish Fry
I don't always cook catfish, but I do apply this same basic principle quite a bit! I am a big fan of a seafood salad. They're quick and easy throw together and look much more impressive than most of them are to actually make. Add some rice or quinoa and a little bit of lettuce and avocado dip? That's an exceptional meal! Of course, there are also some ways to get fancy with it, if you really want to make something impressive and over-the-top.
Air Fryer Catfish Fry
Equipment
- 3 Bowls
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 fillet catfish
- 1/4 c. flour
- 1 egg whisked
- 1/4 c. bread crumbs
- dash salt
- dash pepper
- dash cayenne pepper
- spritz oil for coating
Instructions
Breading
- In 3 separate bowls, add the flour, whisked eggs, and bread crumbs.You can also flavor the bread crumbs with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and any other spices of choice. This is optional. You can add the seasonings on after the cook. I often do both.
- Dip the fish fillet into the flour. If you don't have bowl or Tupperware container the right size to fit an entire fillet of fish into, you can also put the fish on a plate, sprinkle the flour on top, and then pick the fish up and shake slightly to remove the excess flour.Just make sure that the fish is lightly coated all of the way around, or the egg wash and bread crumbs won't stick to it!
- Dip the fish in the egg wash.Again, just make sure that the fish is lightly coated in the whisked egg. However you get the egg onto the fish works! I tend to dip it in one side at a time until it's completely covered.Just try not to handle the fish too much because that can take off the flour and egg wash, which defeats the purpose in the first place. If this does happen, just add a little bit more flour and egg wash to your fingerprint smudges.
- Dip the fish into the breadcrumbs. Like with the flour, it can again help to pour the breadcrumbs onto the fish and lightly press it in to coat completely.
Air Fry
- Spritz the fish fillet generously with olive oil and place in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for about 7 minutes, or until the crust is a lightly fried golden brown. Make sure to rotate the fish fillet halfway through.If the breading isn't browning quickly enough, adding more oil will help.
- Serve immediately. Fish tends not to reheat well! Especially when breaded.
Leave a Reply