As a couple that enjoys fishing, Mr. Handsome and I are always looking for new ways to cook our catches. Nashville is famous for hot (spicy) friend chicken, so we created a similar recipe for fried fish. We use crappie or bass, but you can use any type of fish.
Spicy Fried Fish
Ingredients
- Oil I use canola
- 4-6 fish fillets
Breading:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
Milk Mixture:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 Tbsp hot sauce
Glaze (optional):
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
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Rinse fish fillets, and remove all bones.
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Combine the breading ingredients in one shallow bowl, adjusting the amount of cayenne to fit your tastes. This recipe is only moderately spicy.
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Combine the milk mixture ingredients in another shallow bowl, adjusting the amount of hot sauce to fit your tastes.
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Fill a fry pan with just enough oil to cover the fillets. (Do not add the fillets yet.)
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Heat the oil over medium heat, keeping it covered with a splatter screen. Test it by flicking one TINY drop of water onto the surface of oil. If it crackles and pops, you know it's ready.
Warning: Do not flick more than one tiny drop of water onto the oil. Oil and water do not mix. If you add any significant amount of water, you will create an explosion.
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Dip each fish fillet in the milk mixture and then in the breading. Make sure fillets are fully coated with breading. Place fillets into hot oil. Cook until both sides are golden brown, flipping once if needed.
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To test if fish is fully cooked, remove a piece from the oil, and cut into it with a fork. If the white fish meat flakes, it is ready to eat.
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The glaze is optional, but if you wish to try it, mix all three ingredients in a separate, small fry pan, until combined.
Recipe Notes
We use Frank's Hot Sauce because, unlike most brands of hot sauce, it is free of artificial preservatives. We eat our fried fish with MSG-free ranch dressing.