fried some today and was good but not crispy as I'd like to have..fish warmed up to room temp..had grease about 350, 3-4 minutes..should grease be hotter, say 400?

375 is the best I have found.

400 is way too hot unless you use peanut oil (higher smoke point) 350-375 is perfect.

360 - 390 works well anything over that you risk burning the oil unless you use high dollar oil but there is no reason to get that oil over 360 either. The longer you cook the fish the crisper it will be.

Could have been the batter or coating you used. Cornmeal always gives me a light, crispy fillet. Also, even if you get the oil temp up properly, you could be dumping too much fish in at one time which lowers the oil temp.

Everything i fry seems to turn out better in a old black castiron skillet?

I hate to be "self promoting" here...but there's a link below my sig ( LA food). On that site, there's an article about cajun fried bream. It works for catfish too. The secret is keeping the filets ICE COLD before dropping them in the hot grease. ( which needs to be just the right temp)

Here ya go:

http://www.louisianafood.info/articles/112288/Fried-Bream---Louisiana-style

Great advice on the ice cold fillets as well as a great recipe, Just for the heck of it try substituting cracker meal for the corn meal and see what you think.

quality oil adds to the crispiness too. Cheaper oil has a higher viscosity which means that less drains off when you remove it from the fryer. The more oil that stays on the fish, the less crisp it will be after sitting for a minute or so.

Your best bet is to use Rice Bran oil or Canola as a second choice. corn oil/vegetable oil isn't all that great for crispiness.

forgot to mention I used peanut oil

In addition to OF's tips, slice your filets into strips from top to bottom (not long-ways) while holding your filet knife at about a 15 degree angle. This will provide thinner edges and strips, instead of filets, which also aids in a more crispy finished product. I cannot stand mushy fried catfish.

The biggest mistake I see people doing is putting all of the fish into the fryer at the same time. This causes the temperature of the oil to drop too fast and cool off too much, thus causing the fish to get soggy (same principal applies to fries, hush puppies, rings, etc.) I like to add my fillets to the fryer just a few pieces at a time and try to keep the oil between 350 and 360 degrees.

Here's the recipe that I use.
http://www.bobby-catfishing.com/index_files/Page2808.html

Don't cook much at one time. If pan is crowded temp drops too much and the food will steam/fry.

Your temp is right. Like others said dont over crowd. Corn meal breading and cold fillets help keep them crispy. To keep them hot and crispy set the oven on 200 and crack the oven.

Panko-Fried Fish




Just because a dish is considered classic doesn't mean it can never change. Instead of using store-bought bread crumbs or cornmeal, try this recipe using Japanese Panko Crumbs.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound fish fillets
1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups panko or regular bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, tartar sauce (optional)

Season fish with the salt and pepper. Place flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs in separate shallow containers. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Dip each fillet in the following order - flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs. Add fillets to skillet. (Do not overcrowd). Cook, turning once, until fillets are cooked through and golden, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce, if desired.

Makes 4