Whenever I cook catfish fillets, they tend to end up a bit rubbery. What am I doing wrong? I don't think I'm overcooking them, as I check them periodically and they are never soft and flakey like you would get at a restaurant. I hope this isn't a property of wild-raised catfish. Oh yeah, cooking methods are deep frying, pan frying, and baking. Thanks.
-Yan

Sounds like your not getting the grease hot enough and then cooking them too long. They soak up the grease when placed in grease that's not hot enough. The type oil also can make a difference. I use corn oil and recently started using olive oil. I throw in a pinch of batter and when it instantly disappears I know it's hot. I also cook the filets just long enough to lightly brown the batter.
I also soak the filets in milk for a couple hours.

Yep, crank the heat up some. If your deepfring, take the fish out when they float to the top. Lay them on paper to drain off the grease.

Good question Milkjug, I've had the same problem. I found if you bake them for 20 minutes at 350 they come out perfect.

Have to have the hot oil. Even when I fry them longer to get the cornmeal extra crispy, the meat is flaky and not rubbery. Buy a clip on candy/deepfry thermometer and use an oil that can take the heat. Minimum frying temperature should be 400.

will agree with texasblonde on the temp and i also leave mine in the fryer for 2 minutes after they float, always comes out great

I cook mine at 350*. If you go any higher make sure the filets are thin and uniform in thickness. I love my catfish well done. I bake at 450*. Same rules apply to thickness. I poach mine in a seasoned broth and lemon pepper.

Everyone is right. It depends on the uniformity that is size and thickness of the fillets. Temp should not exceed 375 and the temp should remain constant at 375. I have failed miserably, but to consistently fry fish, make sure the batter is not too thick because it will burn before the meat is done. Fillets soaked in buttermilk and mixed with 3/4 fine corn meal and 1/4 masa flour with salt, black, pepper, cayene pepper, and garlic powder. If you let the battered fish rest on a cookie rack for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking the crust will stick to the fish better and some of the moisture will evaporate. Do not try to fry too many at one time. The oil will get too warm and the fish will be soggy. I prefer mine thinnly sliced and fried quickly in peanut oil, but whatever works for fat. Pan fried in butter with creole spices is incredible and fool proof. The key is to eat them hot with plenty of cold beer.

Good luck,

the Dawg

All of the above are excellent suggestions. One thing I have been doing from the above list for about the last year or so....Choping my filets up into to finger size pieces before battering and deep frying. Man it makes them come out so much more consistant. Because like TexasBlonde and some of the others, I like mine crispy.

One thing I do is use the candy/grease themometer that TexasBlonde mentions and any time you dump a bunch of fresh cold battered filets into hot oil your temp is gonna fall....But, if you watch the themometer, when it climbes back to the orginal temp you started dumping filets in (for me that is 375F), you will notice all your fish should be floating. For this indicates everything in the tank has come back to original temperature, including the inside temp of your filets. Of course I like mine good and crispy. Some folks will say 350F, and that is okay to.

I like my hushpuppies cooked to 400F.

One thing bigdawg mentions that I have discountinued doing is rolling my fish in any type of dairy product prior to battering. This always caused me to wind up with a burned tasting batter. My filets are always wet from the ice bath and lemon juice I typically have them floating in for some period prior to battering and cooking, and I find this to be all the moisture I need to make the batter stick. Straight out of the ice water, into the corn meal dredge and straight into the grease.

Believe me...If the batter looks too thin, because you can still see the grain in the filet under it....It is just perfect IMHO. Hit the grease. If you can't see the filet because of the batter thickness....You gonna wind up with a fish in a blanket.

hey man, there is only one DAWG

What the *#%^ is a Georgia bulldog doing in Texas?

Excuse me, let me kiss the sky.

I cam a green horn and had the Big Unn sitting next to me and came up with the name.

Grrrr,

The BIG DAWG

I read that poaching is illegal

That's how I do it. I also found that milk will cause the breading to burn. I like just a small layer of breading also. It helps to cut out the brown parts prior to cooking as well and keep the fish uniform in thickness like someone mentioned. Paper towels are a must for getting the excess oil out of the fish. I am still working on a hushpuppy recipe.

Donnie, if you haven't found this one, you are backing up.

Betty Newby's hushpuppies:

1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (about 8.5 Oz.)
(If you try to make this recipe using regular cornbread mix, it will never get done in the center.)

1 small can of Rotel tomatoes with Green Chiles, juice and all.
(this and the egg will be your only moisture in this mix, so don't spill it)

1 can of whole corn drained well.

1 egg

1 large onion minced (the hotter the onion the better)

Some finely chopped pickled nacho jalapeno peppers

Mix all ingredients together, then use flour to thicken. Likely about a cup of flour.
If you need to make several hushpuppies, simply double or triple all ingredients above.

Use one of those little melon baller scoops with the ice cream trigger on it, and she adds flour until she get's it thick enough.

It just scoops out kind of like ice cream.

You all are the greatest. No milk-by products for me in the future. I remember a Justin Wilson show in the past that included bacon fat in the recipe and mixing smaller batches for hush puppies because it was easier to control the ingrediants.

Any good dog bread recipes anyone?

BigDawg