Fish & Hush Puppy Skillet

With Lent just around the corner, I thought I would get a head start on some different fish dishes.  I love a good fish and chips, or just breaded cod ,pan fried.  Hit any Southern restaurant on a Friday night and you'll be sure to find fried catfish and hush puppies on the menu.  All that frying is a bit messy, and not quite the healthy dinner.  With this recipe, you can skip the grease and get the same crispy taste with just a few tablespoons of oil. 

For the Hush Puppy:

• 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup red or green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Whisk:

• 3/4 cup beer
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg

For the fish:

• 1 lb. fish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces (I used cod)
• 1/2 cup fish-fry mix

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
• 1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Combine cornmeal mix, scallions, red pepper, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Whisk together beer, buttermilk and egg; stir into cornmeal mixture and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup canola oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet until almost smoking.

Dredge each fish piece in fish-fry mix, then fry, on only one side, about 2 minutes.

Pour hush puppy batter over the fish in skillet.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake until hush puppy is golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.  Let rest 5 minutes, then loosen edges with a knife.  Invert onto a serving plate.  Cut into wedges and serve with ketchup tartar sauce.

~Adapted from Cuisine at Home

Printer-Friendly Version