Fried crispy golden brown, the taste and texture of eating catfish close to the bone is a rare treat these days. But with this recipe, I’m out to bring back an almost forgotten dish.
Fried golden brown, this bone-in catfish is a treat. (All photos credit: George Graham)
There was a time in my youth that dining out for dinner usually meant a road trip. Small-town life in the 50s meant that restaurant options were limited, and my father’s café was one of the better options in town. So, for a dining adventure, we usually drove to Covington, Louisiana, or even further to New Orleans. But every once in a while, my father would fire up the Buick Roadmaster, and we would head out of state.
I grew up in Washington Parish along the Mississippi state line, and one of my dad’s favorite spots was Mack’s Fish Camp, a restaurant an hour away from Bogalusa in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It was a treat to explore unfamiliar territory, and what lay ahead at this roadhouse restaurant was worth the drive.
Mack’s was famous for one thing—whole fried catfish. Back then, along with hushpuppies, coleslaw, and sliced white bread, whole fried catfish was all they served. But what they did with catfish was nothing short of magical. I still remember watching wide-eyed as the waitress set down a huge platter of steaming hot fried catfish in the middle of the table.
Skinning a wild-caught catfish takes talent.
In my recipe, I’m using wild-caught catfish, a cleaner tasting fish. Trapped in hoop nets in the Atchafalaya Basin’s inland waterways, these catfish are skinned and gutted to order.
Cleaned whole catfish on the bone.
I like the smaller size that cooks evenly and quickly in a few short minutes. And the secret to my batter is the addition of pickle juice for tartness and Creole mustard for spice. The dry ingredients are traditional, and if you have a favorite packaged fish fry, then use that.
As kids, we had to learn how to eat fish on the bone, and it only took one pin bone stuck in your throat to understand the importance of the slice of white bread on the table. Those are great memories, and although there are still plenty of catfish houses throughout the South, fried filleted catfish is usually the restaurant option.
Mack’s is still in operation today, so give it a try when you’re near Hattiesburg. And try my recipe and find out how good eating catfish on the bone can be.
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Creole mustard or whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 gallon peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 4 (8 to 12 ounce) whole wild-caught catfish, cleaned
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Cocktail sauce, for serving
- In a large bowl, add the milk, eggs, pickle juice, lemon juice, mustard, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce. Whisk until blended.
- In a large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, lemon pepper, and salt. Stir the dry mixture together.
- In a deep fryer or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oil and bring to a temperature of 350ºF.
- Add the catfish to the liquid mixture and coat on all sides.
- Transfer the catfish to the dry mixture and coat on all sides.
- Place the battered catfish on a tray and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let the batter set.
- In batches, add the catfish to the hot grease (do not crowd the pot). Let cook on all sides until golden brown and fully cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes . Remove to a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain.
- Serve family-style with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, lemon wedges, and your favorite cocktail sauce on the side.
The tastiest catfish ever!
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The place that y’all ate in Hattiesburg was Mack’s Fish Camp. I’m from Bogalusa, and we ate there all the time. To this day, I prefer whole catfish. Later on, there was a fish house in Sheridan that did the same thing. They were good, too. Thank you for bringing up these good memories.
Hey John- Thanks for remembering the name of this legendary fried catfish joint. It was classic. All the best.
I love these recipes- always with some ingredient just a little bit different to bring such uniqueness to a Louisiana classic like whole fried catfish. And the stories are wonderful!! Thanks George.
Hey Michelle- Thanks so much for the kind comments. It is an honor to tell the stories of Louisiana cooking, and when I hear from folks like you, it is much appreciated. All the best.
You sure bring back memories of my youth doing catfish. My buddy cleans them using a fork .
Hey Norm – I haven’t heard of the fork method. My uncle taught me to strip the skin off with a pair of pliers, a technique that I use to this day. All the best.
That’s the way I was taught.
I live in Savannah, GA and we have a lot of decent shacks cooking up fresh-caught catfish, but lived 8 years in Baton Rouge. My area of job responsibilities was all in the Cajun area, and I still to this day cook these recipes. Catfish here is good. Catfish there is great.
It might be against the grain, but I loved Cock of the Walk in Natchez and Middendorf’s. I’m cooking this recipe for my 85 year old dad. Whole fried catfish–one of his all-time favorites!
Hey Tommy- Great memories. I love Middendorf’s, too. In fact, I have a story and recipe about their thin-cut catfish in my new cookbook Fresh From Louisiana. Cock of the Walk is a favorite, also, and the first thing I remember, is the cornbread skillet brought to your table and flipped. Not sure if they still do that, but it was a dramatic presentation. Give your dad my best.
Are the tails crispy enough to eat? I know shrimp tails are sometimes, and they taste great. Just wondered.
Rebecca- For sure! Crackling-crisp fish tails are a big part of the reason to fry fish whole on the bone. It is a treat not to be missed. All the best.
I always eat those nice crispy catfish tails.
Small world! My husband is from Angie in Washington Parish. I always love the road trips to his hometown, especially in the Spring and Fall. Pretty area!
Hey Sonya – Washington Parish is very beautiful with its magnificent pine forests. I do miss it. Thanks for the comment.
This recipe for fried catfish sounds great and just what I was looking for. Thank you. I am so thankful I found this site. Looking forward to more recipes!
Hey Diane – You’re welcome. Happy cooking!
Nice brother. Going catfishing in a few hours.
Getting all my ingredients together to have a tremendous fish fry tomorrow for my wife’s birthday thanks to you
Sam- Thanks for the wonderful comment and wish you wife a Happy Birthday for me.
I just cooked this tonight, my first time frying catfish. It was wonderful–tasty, crisp, and the flesh was flaky. Mine turned out a little too brown because I didn’t have a thermometer, but that didn’t spoil the taste. I served it with just lemon wedges and fresh corn on the cob, but there was no need to smother it with tartar sauce as I usually do with fish.
Spectacular! I never think to use simple things like “pickle juice” as a cooking ingredient. I loved it. I also combined all leftover dry and wet mixtures, added sugar, added more flour and corn meal to make a doughy consistency and dropped by scoopfuls into the oil to make hushpuppies. YUM!
Hey Mickey – Love your hushpuppy idea; what a great way to use the leftover breading. As for pickle juice, it adds tang and moisture to any dish, especially fried foods. After all, the secret to Chick Fil A’s chicken is brining in pickle juice. All the best.
I was wondering if you have a mustard sauce to go on the catfish that you recommend? When I lived in Prescott, AZ years ago, I went to a restaurant called Nolaz which is no longer in business after the owner retired. He was from New Orleans and made the best catfish in mustard sauce I’ve ever had. I’ve tried to duplicate it, but it’s still missing something. I would very much appreciate it if you can help.
thank you for your time.
Hey Pam- Mustard and catfish? That’s a new twist on serving fried catfish that I am not familiar with. Let’s see if anyone else can help answer your query. All the best.