Mississippi may not have an official state food, but it doesn’t take much research to see that catfish is a pretty important part of the state’s culinary tradition. So with LSU hosting the Mississippi State Bulldogs this Saturday, catfish is on the menu!

A Brief History

Whereas wild caught river catfish can taste very fishy — catfish are, after all, bottomfeeders — farm-raised catfish can have a neutral taste that most Americans prefer and that’s why it can be a big industry.

Catfish has been a huge source of farming in the state for the better part of a decade, so much so that Belzoni, Miss. lays claim as the catfish capital of the world. It hosts the annual World Catfish Festival each April and lies just two hours west of Starkville, home of Mississippi State University.

But a number of economical factors, from rising feed prices to restaurants importing fish from Asia, caused a sharp decline in the Delta region’s catfish production. Once producing more than 60% of the country’s farm-raised catfish and contributing $550 million to the economy, the downturn of the early 2000s resulted in lost jobs and an exodus from the region.

Still, a look at restaurant menus throughout the state will find catfish, usually fried, but sometimes grilled, blackened, poached, catfish cakes, or po’ boy sandwiches. Even what many believe to be the best barbecue joint in Starkville, Little Dooey, has fried catfish prominently featured. So when it came time to choosing the dish for this week’s Tailgate Tuesday, there was really only one choice: fried catfish.

Where to Buy

You can usually find catfish at your local grocery store. I got mine from Costco for $5.99 a pound. The label said farm-raised, but it didn’t say whether it was from Mississippi or somewhere else.

How to Cook Catfish

Marinating in milk isn’t completely required for catfish, but as with any fish if you want to mild down the fishiness flavor, you can. You also need milk for the breading process, so why not let it marinate in that milk for a few hours before cooking?

Start by whisking together 3 cups of milk, 2 eggs, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of hot sauce. Place your catfish filets in a pan or baking dish with sides, then pour your milk marinade over them to completely cover them. Cover it and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

While it’s marinating, you can also make your tartar sauce so it has time to sit in the fridge. Mix together 1 cup of Duke’s Mayo, 1/4 cup of sweet relish, 1/2 of a finely diced onion, and 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cover and put in the fridge.

When you’re ready to start cooking, fire up your fryer to 375 degrees. I work with a $50 fryer from Bass Pro Shop because it’s easy to fit on the kitchen counter, but also portable enough to bring outside or take to your tailgate.

Note: If you don’t have a fryer and don’t want to buy one, you can use a heavy-bottom pot on your grill or smoker. Just make sure to use a thermometer to check your oil temperature and be careful not to let the oil overflow or splash out.

We’ll start with the hush puppies, which are super easy to make. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of self-rising yellow cornmeal, 1/2 cup of self-rising flour, and a tablespoon of sugar. In a separate bowl, combine an egg, 1/2 cup of beer, half of a finely diced onion, and a finely diced green pepper. If you want them to have some heat, substitute a jalapeno or hatch chile pepper for the green pepper.

Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Use a melon baller to scoop your individual balls and put them into the fryer a few at a time. Fry for about four minutes or until golden brown. Once done, remove from the fryer and dry on a paper towel, covered to keep warm.

Reduce the heat of your fryer to 325 degrees and mix your catfish breading ingredients. In a bowl, mix together 2 cups of regular (not self-rising) yellow cornmeal (fine or medium grind, don’t use coarse ground), 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, and a few shakes of Gentry’s BBQ Loosey Anne Rub. This is kind of like Old Bay, but better.

Remove a catfish filet from the milk, score it a few times with a knife, then dredge through your dry mix, making sure to evenly coat all sides. Put it into the fryer and let go for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and at least 145 degrees internal. Once done, let dry on a paper towel, covered to stay warm, and repeat with the rest of your filets.

Serve your catfish with some diced green onions, lemon wedges, your homemade tartar sauce, and some corn whiskey…because, you know, Mississippi.

Mississippi Fried Catfish & Hush Puppies

Mississippi may not have an official state food, but if it did, catfish may get the nod. This fried catfish and hush puppies dish is a nod to the Magnolia State.

For the Catfish

• 6 filets Catfish
• 3 cups Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire
• 2 cup Yellow Cornmeal (Fine or Medium Grind (not Coarse))
• ⅔ cup All-Purpose Flour
• Gentry's Loosey Anne Rub
• 2 quarts Peanut Oil
• 1 bunch Green Onions (Finely Chopped)

For the Tartar Sauce

• 1 cup Duke's Mayo
• ¼ cup Sweet Relish
• ½ Onion (Finely Diced)
• 3 TBSP Lemon Juice (Freshly Squeezed)

For the Hush Puppies

• 1 cup Self-Rising Yellow Cornmeal
• ½ cup Self-Rising Flour
• 1 TBSP Sugar
• 1 Egg
• ½ cup Beer
• ½ Onion (Finely Diced)
• 1 Green Pepper (or Jalapeno or Hatch Chile) (Finely Diced)
• Peanut Oil

1. Place your catfish filets in a pan or baking dish with sides. In a bowl, whisk together 3 cups of milk, 2 eggs, a TBSP of Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of hot sauce. Pour this over your catfish filets. Cover it and place into the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Make your tartar sauce. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of Duke's Mayo, ¼ cup of sweet relish, half of an onion (finely diced), and 3 TBSP of lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Heat your fryer to 375 degrees

4. In a bowl, combine 1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal, ½ cup self-rising flour, and 1 TBSP sugar.

5. In a separate bowl, combine 1 egg, ½ cup beer, ½ of an onion (finely diced), and a finely diced green pepper (if you want it hot, you can substitute a jalapeno or hatch chile).

6. Mix your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until fully combined.

7. Scoop balls of your batter into the fryer and cook for approximately 4 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oil and let dry on a paper towel, covered to stay warm.

8. After your hush puppies are done, reduce the heat of your fryer to 325.

9. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of yellow cornmeal (fine or medium grind), ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, and a few shakes of Gentry's Loosey Anne Rub.

10. Once your fryer is ready, take one catfish filet out of the milk mixture, score it a few times with a knife, then dredge in the cornmeal mix. Make sure all sides are covered evenly. Put into the fryer and let go for approximately 5-6 minutes until golden brown on the outside and at least 145 degrees internal. Remove from fryer and let dry on a paper towel, covered to stay hot. Repeat for each filet.

11. Serve with your tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and diced green onions.

This recipe uses a deep fryer, such as this one that can be bought at Bass Pro Shops for around $50. It’s a great countertop fryer that is also small enough to take to your tailgate.

That said, if you don’t have one, you can use a heavy-bottom pot on your grill and still make this recipe. Just be careful.