Southern Fried Fish

Southern Fried Fish

• Whole fish (6-8 oz each is a good frying size)
• ½ half cup self-rising flour
• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
• 1-½ cups shortening or oil (You can substitute bacon fat for part of the oil for a better taste)

Slit the fish 2 or 3 times on each side and place them in a quart of water with 2 tablespoons of salt. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. When ready to cook, wash the fish under slow, cold, running water and lay them on a paper towel. In a pan, mix together the cornmeal and flour. Heat the shortening or oil in frying pan over medium heat until just hot. Batter the fish by dipping them in the cornmeal-flour mixture and coating well on both sides, placing each fish in the frying pan as you go. Don’t pre-batter the fish, because the meat will soak up too much of the batter and take away the flavor. Fry the fish on both sides until done (about 8-10 minutes for each side over medium heat), turning the heat up or down as needed. Serve with tartar sauce (see Side dishes for recipe). 

Serves 8.