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dad's fried fish

(4 ratings)
sokygal avatar
Recipe by
Teresa G.
@sokygal
Here, KY

Dad loved fishing. He was never happier than when he was in a boat, on a lake, with a fishing rod in his hand and a fish on the hook! This is his recipe for cooking all of those fish that he caught. I rarely ever fry fish any other way. The mustard may seem like an odd ingredient, but it works, even if you don't like mustard; you really don't even realize it's in there.

(4 ratings)
yield 3 to 6
prep time 15 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Pan Fry

Ingredients For dad's fried fish

  • 1 1/2 to 2 c
    vegetable oil
  • 1 c
    plain yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 c
    prepared yellow mustard
  • 6 md
    raw fish filets, your choice of white type
  • fresh parsley and/or lemon wedges for garnish, optional

How To Make dad's fried fish

  • 1
    Gather ingredients and thaw fish, if using frozen.
  • 2
    Pour oil into large skillet (I like cast iron or non-stick.)
  • 3
    Pour cornmeal and salt into plastic food bag; close opening & shake to mix.
  • 4
    Pour yellow mustard into shallow dish or pan that is at least the size of the filets.
  • 5
    One at a time, dip fish into mustard, coating both sides lightly; drop fish into bag with cornmeal & shake bag to coat filet with cornmeal; leave fish in bag.
  • 6
    Repeat with remaining filets, leaving all the filets in the meal.
  • 7
    Place skillet with oil over medium-high heat; when oil is hot (almost "shimmering," but NOT smoking) carefully add as many filets as will fit without touching.
  • 8
    Fry about 2 1/2 minutes, until light golden brown; carefully turn filet over and fry on other side about 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and fish flakes easily; remove cooked filets to paper towel.
  • 9
    (Note: A long fish turner/spatula is the best utensil/tool for turning fish. If fish turner is not available, use two egg turners. Photo of Dad's, which I still use.)
  • 10
    Repeat frying until all filets are cooked.
  • 11
    Garnish as desired; serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
  • 12
    Photo of my father holding two monster smallmouth bass he caught at Dale Hollow Lake, Kentucky, circa 1950ish.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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