Catfish and Hush Puppies

The week after Mardi Gras and February sliding toward March and the beginning of what Louisianans call the false spring — warm sunny days that arrive in late February and make everyone believe the season has turned, before March remembers itself and sends cold again. I love the false spring. It is one of Louisiana's better deceptions.

School was full-pace: a Biology test on genetics that I was ready for, an AP Environmental Science quiz on wetland ecology, and an English paper assigned on the literature of place — specifically how writers use physical landscape to express cultural identity. I was already thinking about the MawMaw Shirley essay from the fall and wondering if there was a longer piece in that territory. Ms. Whitaker encouraged me to think about building my writing portfolio, which she said was valuable both for college applications and for the student journalist program the school offered.

I had been thinking about what Mr. Guidry said about the science competition. I looked it up: the Louisiana Student Environmental Science Competition, open to students grades 9-12, papers submitted in February and judged by a panel of university faculty. The deadline was February 28th. That was three days away. I revised my wetland paper — tightened the argument, added a more specific policy section, fixed two citations that weren't formatted correctly — and submitted it online with one day to spare. I did not tell anyone except Mama, who made a quiet noise of pride and asked no follow-up questions, which is how she gives space for things that might not come to anything and also might.

Saturday I made shrimp and grits — proper Lowcountry style, stone-ground grits cooked low and slow with cheese, and a shrimp sauce with andouille and tomato and garlic. It took an hour and a half start to finish. Daddy ate two bowls and said I should teach cooking classes. I told him I was already teaching one, to myself, and I was my own most demanding student. He said that sounded exactly right.

Shrimp and grits took the whole Saturday afternoon, and by the time Daddy pushed back from the table I was already thinking about what comes next in the rotation — because in this kitchen, one slow-cooked Southern meal always points toward another. Catfish and hush puppies belong to the same tradition: patient, deliberate food that asks you to stand at the stove and commit. After a week of genetics tests and competition deadlines and Ms. Whitaker asking me to think bigger about my writing, I needed something that asked nothing of me except attention — the kind of cooking where the work itself is the reward.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Catfish:
4 catfish fillets (about 6 oz each)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Hush Puppies:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Soak the catfish. Place the catfish fillets in a shallow dish and cover with buttermilk. Let them soak for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the dredge and hush puppy batter. This step keeps the fish moist and helps the coating adhere.
Make the dredge. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.
Mix the hush puppy batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne. Add the buttermilk, egg, diced onion, and melted butter. Stir until just combined — do not overmix. Rest the batter for 5 minutes.
Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer if you have one — temperature control matters for even browning.
Fry the hush puppies first. Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, carefully drop rounded tablespoons of batter into the hot oil in batches. Fry 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and keep warm in a 200°F oven.
Dredge and fry the catfish. Lift each fillet from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, then press firmly into the cornmeal dredge on both sides. Fry in batches, 4–5 minutes per side, until the crust is deep golden and the fish flakes easily at the thickest point. Do not crowd the pan.
Rest and serve. Transfer finished fillets to the paper-towel-lined plate. Season immediately with a pinch of salt. Serve hot alongside the hush puppies with hot sauce, lemon wedges, and tartar sauce if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Catfish and Hush Puppies — Southern Cooking as a Language All Its Own