Catfish Sticks

Name: Catfish Sticks
Yield: makes 4 to 6 servings (about 32 fish sticks)
Ingredients: 4 catfish fillets (about 2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry; 1/4 cup peanut oil or vegetable oil; 1 cup panko bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons cornmeal; 4 teaspoons Cheater Basic Dry Rub (page 45)

January 24, 2012

Next to firing up the smoker, having a catfish fry in the party pot (our name for the turkey fryer) is our preferred all-day patio workout. Then, after hours of fun over the hot cauldron, we’re done with frying for months. Except maybe for an occasional batch of corn tortilla chips. The thing about catfish is that its soft, almost mushy flesh demands a rigid cornmeal exoskeleton forged in hot peanut oil. An oven and a seasoned panko/cornmeal crust mimic the deep-fried crust with a fraction of the mess and without oil recycling in the morning. R. B. confirms that leftover Catfish Sticks reheat like a dream in a toaster oven. He makes a mean cheater po’boy with reheated catfish sticks piled on a hamburger bun slathered with tartar sauce and topped with iceberg lettuce excavated from the crisper drawer.

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