Fried Catfish with Carrot & Raisin Salad by MJ's Kitchen | wokwithray.net- Filipino & Asian Home Style Cooking

Friend’s Post – Fried Catfish with Carrot & Raisin Salad by MJ’s Kitchen

Posted on July 6, 2012 | by Ray

To me, cooking is not only an art but also a reflection of someone’s passion, attributes, pride, and culture. These beautiful reflections are the reasons why I run an ongoing series of “friends sharing” their favorite dish that has a story, memorable events, and inspiration.

Today, I am very excited and proud to have MJ of MJ’s Kitchen cooking with us. When I first visited MJ’s blog more than a year ago, I immediately got this feeling of coziness; her style of cooking and writing made me feel welcome. If you are following her blog, you will understand what I mean. Thank you MJ for being with us today and sharing this wonderful dish.

Friends, please welcome MJ Willis of MJ’s Kitchen.

Hello everyone! I’m MJ of MJ’s Kitchen, a kitchen in the southwestern United States. I am so thrilled to be here in Ray’s house. When Ray asked me to guest post a few weeks ago I was extremely flattered, and very excited. What an honor to do my first guest post here! Thank you so much Ray for inviting me! When I asked if he had something in mind, Ray requested a recipe that represented my roots. What a great request and an easy one to fulfill! I had been planning on posting fried catfish for a long time and this gave me the perfect opportunity. So without further ado, let’s talk about Louisiana catfish.

Growing up in Louisiana I ate more fried catfish than most people eat in a lifetime. We had a family cabin on Black Lake (a lake in north Louisiana) where the family, aunts, uncles and cousins all gathered for family picnics. Black Lake is a relatively large lake and the catfish get really, really big. They get SO big that my uncle would set up traps in order to catch them. Most of the catfish he trapped were well over 100 pounds (45 kg)! Now that’s a lot of catfish, and I have to tell you – I’ve never had better catfish in my life!

During the day while my uncle was checking his traps, some of the rest of us were cane poll fishing for bream (bluegill). Once eveyone started showing back up at the cabin with their catch of the day, my mother and aunts would stand at the stove and fry up enough catfish and bream to feed sometimes as many as 30 people! The fish went straight from the water to the fryer! Along with the fish we would have French fried potatoes, potato salad, coleslaw, and my favorite – carrot and raisin salad.

So today, I’m sharing with you my fried catfish, and carrot and raisin salad recipes. For the catfish, I took my mother’s method (she didn’t have a recipe), and adjusted it just a little bit. Since I have the privilege of frying my catfish in the same cast iron Dutch oven that Mama used for over 50 years, the taste and experience is pretty much the same. I hope you enjoy!

Fried Catfish Recipe

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound catfish fillets, cut in half lengthwise
1 large egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
Salt and pepper
4 cups peanut or canola oil or enough oil to deep fry the fillets

Catfish Dipping Sauce (not quite a Tartar Sauce)

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain Greek Style Yogurt
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 Tbsp. dill pickle, minced
1 Tbsp. horseradish sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
A pinch of dried dill weed
Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a bowl, mix well, and set aside.

DIRECTIONS:

Frying Catfish

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg, Worcestershire sauce, buttermilk, and a little salt and pepper.
Place cornmeal in another shallow bowl or pie pan. Add a little salt and a generous amount of pepper. Stir to combine.
Heat oil in deep frying skillet or cast iron Dutch oven over medium high heat to a temperature of 325°F (163°C). Turn heat down to medium and maintain temperature. (The temperature is important to keep your catfish from being greasy.)
Dip a catfish fillet in egg mixture, then into the cornmeal. Coat the fillet with the cornmeal.
Place gently in hot oil. Cook until lightly brown on both sides, about 2 minutes or cooked through. With enough oil, you shouldn’t have to turn it.
Transfer to a flat paper bag or paper towels to drain.
Sprinkle with more salt if desired. (We like adding salt right out of the fryer.)
Serve with Catfish Dipping Sauce.

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Carrot and Raisin Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup raisins
Juice from 1 orange (about 3 to 4 Tbsp.)
4 large carrots, peeled and grated
Touch of salt

Dressing

1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. Dijon or Creole mustard
3 Tbsp. orange juice (drained from raisins)

DIRECTIONS:

Squeeze the juice from the orange into a bowl. Add the raisins and set aside for at least 10 minutes to re-hydrate.
Grate the carrots into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and mustard.
Drain the juice from the raisins and add 3 Tbsp of the orange juice to the dressing. Whisk.
Add the raisins to the carrots then a touch of salt.
Add the dressing and toss.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again before serving.

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Catfish in Miso Sour Soup (Sinigang sa Miso)

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57 Comments → “Friend’s Post – Fried Catfish with Carrot & Raisin Salad by MJ’s Kitchen”

The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time

10 months ago

Oooooh, the food looks so good! The carrot salad reminds me of my childhood and the one my mom would make. And being in the south, it’s all about fried foods, catfish especially. It looks absolutely perfect!
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time recently posted..Buttermilk Biscuits from Fine Cooking Magazine, June/July 2012

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Mom Chef! Yep – the south is all about fried food! Catfish, shrimp, chicken and one of my favorite – the fried oyster Po-Boy! I’m glad I was able to bring back a childhood memory!
  
  Reply
Jane

10 months ago

This look fabulous!

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Jane!
  
  Reply
mjskit

10 months ago

Ray – Thanks so much for having me here for a visit!!! It’s been fun and I look forward to our continued friendship, sharing food and culture!

Reply
- Ray
  
  10 months ago
  
  It’s a lot of fun working with you, MJ. Thank you for sharing this delicious dish and the wonderful story behind it.
  
  Reply
Cucina49

10 months ago

That catfish is a stunner–totally comparable to the fried catfish I used to eat in Louisiana!
Cucina49 recently posted..Apron Anxiety

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Cucina! My mama was born, raised and still lives in Louisiana (she’s 85!), so who better to learn from if you want to fry good catfish!
  
  Reply
Juliana

10 months ago

Yum! This fired catfish looks delicious, especially with the sauce. Great paired with the carrot and raisin salad. Thanks for introducing me to MJ’s Kitchen.
Have a wonderful weekend Ray

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Juliana! The sauce was a big change from my Mama’s! It took me a while but I finally moved away from the mayo and sweet pickle sauce I grew up with. Nice to meet you and thanks for the comments!
  
  Reply
Reem | Simply Reem

10 months ago

It is so nice to see Mj here.. I have to agree with u Ray, i too felt so cozy and welcomed when I first visited MJ’s blog. Her blog is really nice!!
This catfish looks really nice..Yum!!
Reem | Simply Reem recently posted..Comment on About by Indian Chicken Curry | Easy Asian Recipes at RasaMalaysia.com

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Reem, you always say the nicest things! Thanks for such lovely comments!
  
  Reply
Tessa

10 months ago

Beautiful dishes and gorgeous photography!
Tessa recently posted..Green Cauliflower Salad with Garlic Caper Vinaigrette

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CJ at Food Stories

10 months ago

Just beautiful … Love the colorful, vibrant pictures
CJ at Food Stories recently posted..Oven Fried Chicken Tenders

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Tessa and CJ!
  
  Reply
Nami | Just One Cookbook

10 months ago

So happy to see MJ here and I’m a big fan of her since I discovered her blog too. She taught me many things about American dishes that I’m not familiar with and one day love to visit and try all kinds of dishes I’ve learned from her blog.

Love catfish and I also deep fry too. Your catfish looks far better and tastier than mine. And I want that 50 year old cast iron Dutch oven!! That’s the coolest Dutch oven I’ve ever seen. Hope my kids can use mine one day. Lovely carrot raisin salad to go well with catfish. Great recipes!
Nami | Just One Cookbook recently posted..Gyutan | BBQ Beef Tongue

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Nami! I think I’m going to have an alarm put on my Dutch oven! It stays on the stove top so much that it would be easy for someone to walk away with it. I have to admit that I’m a pretty good fryer. We fried everything when I was a kid, so it was something I definitely learned how to do. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
  
  Reply
Angie@Angie's Recipes

10 months ago

MJ, cool to see you guest post for Ray. You two are a good team! The fried catfish looks extremely delicious with raisin salad.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Mixed Seeds Light Rye Bread

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Angie! We do make a good team!
  
  Reply
Kristi Rimkus

10 months ago

Wonderful guest post. I’m off to visit MJ’s blog. I love that cast iron dutch oven. I’m a new convert to the benefits of cooking with cast iron – love it. I haven’t had a carrot and raisin salad in years. Delish!
Kristi Rimkus recently posted..Who Says You Can’t Eat Nuts on a Diet? Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil and Honey Roasted Cashews

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Kristi! Oh you really need to try the carrot & raisin salad! It’s so easy to make and with so few ingredients, the carrot and raisin flavors really shine.
  
  Reply
Liz

10 months ago

Ray, so fun to find MJ here…with her delicious plate of food! That catfish looks fantastic!!!
Liz recently posted..Southern Fried Chicken…Crazy Cooking Challenge~

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Liz!
  
  Reply
Valerie @ From Valerie's Kitchen

10 months ago

All of my blogging friends keep bringing me here! First Nami and now MJ. They must be on to something MJ, I am loving this meal. I can tell the “not quite tartar sauce” would be the perfect accompaniment to the fried catfish and the carrot raisin salad would balance it all out so nicely. Good job!
Valerie @ From Valerie’s Kitchen recently posted..Turkey, Bacon, Ranch Sliders with Blue Cheese

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Valerie! Glad you came over. I know you’re going to love checking out Ray’s recipes!
  
  Reply
- Ray
  
  10 months ago
  
  We have plenty of space for friends here at Wok with Ray, Valerie. Would love to be your friend too.
  
  Reply
vianney

10 months ago

“I have the privilege of frying my catfish in the same cast iron Dutch oven that Mama used for over 50 years, the taste and experience is pretty much the same.” these are the recipe I adore, family favorites entwined with loving memeories. wonderful post Ray. Love MJ!!
vianney recently posted..Mango Margarita Ice Cream

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Vianney! Before my mother had to move out of her home, she always made us fried catfish when we came to visit. It’s been such a privileged carrying on the tradition, especially with her Dutch oven!
  
  Reply
Purabi Naha

10 months ago

OMG! You just combined all my favorite things! The fried catfish looks fantastic. And I love the pictures! They’re just so warm and inviting. Thanks for this fantastic idea!

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thank you Purabi for such nice comments!!! Hope you’ve had a great weekend.
  
  Reply
kitchenriffs

10 months ago

Fried catfish is sensational food. Love the cast iron Dutch oven! I love pots, pans, and other cooking utensils that have some age on them. And both the dipping sauce and the carrot & raisin salad are quite nice. But to me the takeaway is I just don’t deep fry enough. It’s actually a pretty healthy way to cook (as long as you maintain your temperature, as the recipe points out) and so tasty. Good stuff – thanks.

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Mr. KR!!! I can tell right now that I’m going to have to chain that Dutch Oven to the stove top! Again, I have to thank my mama for teaching me how to fry probably. She didn’t use a thermometer. She would drop a small piece of fish in the oil and could just tell by how it reacted if the hot was hot enough. I do the same, but for this post I actually measured the temperature to make sure it was right – and it was! So fry away Darlin!
  mjskit recently posted..Fried Catfish and Carrot Raisin Salad – Picnic @ Ray’s
  
  Reply
Anne@FromMySweetHeart

10 months ago

MJ…I absolutely loved the story behind this scrumptious plate! And that dutch oven is just priceless! Thanks,also, for introducing me to Ray’s blog. Ray…you have so many amazing recipes and photographs….but I think that coconut pudding with sweet corn is calling me the loudest! What a wonderful guest post! : )
Anne@FromMySweetHeart recently posted..Parmesan Tuiles with Heirloom Tomatoes

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- Ray
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thank you for the kind words, Anne. It’s nice to meet you.
  
  Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Anne! Those picnics were priceless! I’m right there with you – Ray’s coconut pudding with sweet corn is at the top of my To Make list!
  
  Reply
Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef

10 months ago

Pretty fancy food memories here, that’s for sure! Carrot salad was one of my first loves when I moved from New England to the South.
Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef recently posted..Vanilla Poached Pear and Apple Crumble

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  New England to the south – A little change in culture and food I’m sure! Thanks for stopping by!
  
  Reply
Born27

10 months ago

This Fried Catfish with Carrot & Raisin Salad looks incredible delicious. Great combination! I must make this very soon! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks for your comments! I hope you do get a chance to make it.
  
  Reply
Sissi

10 months ago

Wonderful post and fabulous recipe, MJ. I used to eat catfish as a child, so your recipe brings back old memories… For us Europeans your cornmeal coating looks very exotic though! I must try it one day (although I have no access to fresh catfish here…).
Sissi recently posted..Matcha and Coconut Cream with Agar

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Sissi! I had to smile at your comment about cornmeal coating being “exotic”! I think every meal I had as a kid has something with cornmeal, so exotic is wasn’t. This method of frying could be used for any fish. For more meaty fish, you’ll just need to fry a minute or two longer.
  
  Reply
Biren @ Roti n Rice

10 months ago

What a wonderful guest post and a lovely story! MJ, your fried catfish looks so crispy and I am sure it combines beautifully with the carrot and raisin salad. They look and sound delicious!

Ray, great choice for a guest post. Have a wonderful week!
Biren @ Roti n Rice recently posted..Kuih Kodok (Mashed Banana Fritters) – A Guest Post for Ang Sarap

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Biren!
  
  Reply
Javelin Warrior

10 months ago

It’s wonderful to see MJ guest posting here and I love the story behind the catfish. Actually, I love learning more about bloggers I enjoy following, so I’m so glad MJ decided to share. A wonderful post and a delicious recipe…
Javelin Warrior recently posted..Tuesday Tutor: Featuring Amy’s Cooking Adventures

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- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Javelin! It’s interesting how many great stories we all have that revolve around food! Maybe that’s part of why we do what we do.
  
  Reply
Soni

10 months ago

MJ is one of the sweetest,kindest people out there and I just love her recipes.This is one lovely recipe that I cannot wait to try
My first time here and I love your blog Great recipes!!
Soni recently posted..Vegetable Pulao {Indian Spiced} #Cooked in Translation

Reply
- Ray
  
  10 months ago
  
  I agree with you about MJ. She is a very sweet lady. Welcome to Wok with Ray, Soni!
  
  Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks you two!!! Hugs to you both! Soni, I’m so glad you came by and discovered Ray! It’s fun here!!!
  
  Reply
Reese@SeasonwithSpice

10 months ago

Wonderful to see MJ’s over here, Ray. MJ’s smile makes me feel welcome immediately. It feels like we are dining there with her with her delicious homemade food that is prepared with love. I love this crispy fried fish recipe!

Reply
- Ray
  
  10 months ago
  
  You are absolutely correct, Reese. MJ’s smile and wonderful personality reflects the dishes that she makes.
  
  Reply
  - mjskit
    
    10 months ago
    
    You two are going make me cry! What nice things to say! Thank you SO much! Cheers from a blushing MJ!
    mjskit recently posted..Fried Catfish and Carrot Raisin Salad – Picnic @ Ray’s
    
    Reply
Jen @ Savory Simple

10 months ago

I think this might be what’s for dinner!
Jen @ Savory Simple recently posted..Peach Gazpacho (KitchenAid Blender Review)

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mjskit

10 months ago

Thanks Jen!!!

Reply
Katherine Martinelli

10 months ago

What a great, flavorful recipe! And so happy to be introduced to your great blog, Ray, via MJ!
Katherine Martinelli recently posted..Taco Salad with Skinny Chipotle Ranch Dressing + a Skinny Blog Hop

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- Ray
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thank you, Katherine. It’s nice meeting you and welcome to Wok with Ray.
  
  Reply
- mjskit
  
  10 months ago
  
  Thanks Katherine! Ray’s is a great place to visit!
  mjskit recently posted..Stacked Vegetables ‘en Papillote
  
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Carolyn Jung

9 months ago

That looks like a plate of total crunch-a-liciousness.
Carolyn Jung recently posted..A Taste of Old and New at Madrona Manor in Healdsburg

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