Fried Fish & Hushpuppies

, then drop the batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, using 2 teaspoons: one to scoop up the batter and the other to scrape it off and into the oil. Fry the hushpuppies until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes, again carefully monitoring the temperature of the oil.

This is how you do it.  Only one way.  Use the recipe for the Japanese Tartar Sauce or the Salsa Rosa (Italian Tartar Sauce) for a change of pace. 

NOTE: Cornflour is not cornmeal; it has been ground very fine.  You may find it in one-pound bags at the fish counter under the name "Fish Fry"  check to see if it's seasoned before you add more seasoning to it. 

Some people love to eat the crunchy tails of the fish.  Know your guests.  I may as well say it; In the spring when the fish are spawning you will frequently  notice their tails are redish from making their nests.  Check these fish for their egg sacks.  Fry the sacks of eggs just as you would a piece of fish.  They are magnificent.

For the Fish:
Peanut Oil for Frying
1 1/2 cups corn flour, more or less, preferably stone-ground (see above)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3 pounds small cleaned fish or fillets, preferably freshwater catfish or sunfish

For the hushpuppies:
1 large egg
2 cups buttermilk
1-3/4 cups stone-ground whole-grain cornmeal (see above)
1/2 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt

Pour oil to a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches in a stockpot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high to 375. Mama always used a cast iron skillet but it's dangerous.  The oil splatters and may boil over. Preheat the oven to 200. Place a wire racks on 2 baking sheets and set aside.

In a wide bowl, mix the corn flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a medium-size bowl, prepare the hushpuppy batter. Mix the egg and buttermilk well, then stir in the cornmeal until well blended. Add the onion and salt and stir in. Set aside while you fry the fish.

Dip each fish or fillet in the seasoned corn flour, coating it all over but shaking off any excess.

Carefully lower each piece into the hot oil. Fill the pot, but do not crowd it. The oil should bubble up around each piece of fish. Monitor the temperature closely so that it stays between 365 and 375. Fry the fish until it is golden all over, turning the pieces if necessary. It will take 2 or 3 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the pieces. Set aside the remaining cornflour.

Remove the fish from the oil in the same order that they were immersed, using a wire mesh strainer, tongs, or any tool that will allow you to hold it over the pot as excess grease drains back into the pot. When the fish stops dripping, immediately place the pieces on the prepared baking sheet, then place in the oven.

Always wait for the oil to reach the proper temperature again before adding more food to the pot. Continue frying until all of the fish is fried, then proceed with the hushpuppies:
Add the remaining seasoned corn flour to the hushpuppy batter a little at a time, mixing well as you go, until the batter is thick enough to be spooned. You will have added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the corn flour.

Make sure that the oil has returned to 375 degrees

Drain each pup well over the pot as it is removed from the oil, then place on the prepared sheet pan. You'll probably not have to put the hushpuppies in the oven with the fish to stay warm because your guests will be picking at them. Besides, they stay warm a fairly long time, and there are plenty to go around. Repeat the process until all the batter is fried. Serve the fish and hushpuppies immediately with cole slaw.