First you need to catch some fresh fish in this case 8 speckled perch (crappie) similar consistency to flounder, perch, other flakey white meat fishes also suitable:
Which you simply catch off the dock:
Once filleted, you get a mix ready: 1 cup cornbread mix (flour & cornmeal) + 2 tablespoons corn starch (makes them very crisp) salt & pepper the fish or if using the cornbread mix for hushpuppies as we do: salt/pepper the mix put fillets in the mix and make sure they’re dusted (no egg or anything else needed on the fillets). Cornstarch will do the work of crisping.
Oil: we use grape seed oil. Light & leaves no aftertaste at all. We want just the fish & coating.
Put enough oil in a pan to at least cover 1/2 width of fillets - set to fry at 400º when the fillets
go from clear to white 1/2 the width - flip and brown them on the other side.
When the last of your fillets are browned, mix up a quick hushpuppy batter: hushpuppies - take the leftover cornbread mix you’ve dusted the fish with, add 1/4 cup chopped onions and milk (or a mix of milk/beer) to make a thick batter that will form balls.
Drop these into the grease - same temperature and brown.
when you get them browned as shown - pull them out and put more in:
Until your whole batch of fish and puppies is done:
Add any extras you want - we have to have coleslaw at the minimum:
For the coleslaw: shred 2 cups cabbage (and 1/4 cup carrots if you want color):
add 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or enough to cover if making more coleslaw
1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon sugar + 2 tablespoons watermelon rind pickle juice for the kick (or 1 teaspoon sweet relish if you can’t find rind pickle) - taste till you get it right
How grape seed oil cooks - coating is crisp, fish is cooked without saturation:
I'm one of the luckiest on earth - should have been dead at 26 in a Thrush crash nobody thought I'd survive and now get to do this everyday if I want to. Pretty fortunate.
Good luck with your fishing - from a 60 year old cabin on the lake.