How oh how did I also forget to take a picture of this? It was delicious and amazing and it looked so good... But, before I get ahead of myself, let's get to the basics. Fried, you ask? Not what one would expect from a healthy blog! Yet this fried is not what you have had before. That's right - this is healthier (note, not fully healthy) and yet still fried.
So what's the secret? Temperature. Many professionals went through a long time experimenting to come up with the most healthful way to fry food. It turns out if you fry at exactly 375 degrees, suddenly the meal gets healthier. First, it's so hot that your food cooks very quickly and does not need to stay in the oil for as long. Second, the oil does not get absorbed at this temperature, or at least far less. You'll be able to see this. For instance, when I make latkes I must add oil as I continue to cook since it is getting soaked up. With this fish, the oil level was the same after as before. Third, the coating. Using something with some carbonation in the dough or covering on your fish helps form bubbles that keep the oil away and from leaching into the fish. This helps prevent absorption as well.
And it really works. I was quite nervous originally about heating the oil to this level but when I overcame it and went through with it, it worked wonders. The fish was light and crispy but not oily at all. In fact, I placed the fish directly onto paper towels (on a plate) after removing it from the frying pan and they did not get oily at all. It was great! So follow the instructions, make sure you don't get burned by the hot oil, and enjoy the results.
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 30 minutes
Fried Catfish
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fat free mayo
2.5 tbsp lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
peanut oil (4-5 cups)
1 lb catfish
1 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. low fat buttermilk
1 egg
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)
First, make the garlic aioli. Mix together the mayo, lemon juice, and garlic cloves. Stir well and then put in the fridge to stay chilled and mixed until you are ready to use it.
Heat the peanut oil in a large pan. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side so you can monitor the temperature - this is very important. Heat the oil until it gets to 385 degrees. Do not get worried if there is some very light steam/smoke rising- the smoke point of oil is lower than 385. The oil will bubble around 250 degrees and then actually stop bubbling as it gets hotter.
When the oil is nearing the correct heat, place 1/2 cup of flour in a flat dipping dish. In another similar dish mix together the other 1/2 cup of flour, cornmeal, and black pepper. Finally, in another dish combine the buttermilk and eggs and mix well.
Finally, when oil is ready to go take each fillet, one at a time. Dredge the fillet in the flour mixture, dip it into the buttermilk mixture, and then dredge it in the cornmeal. Make sure you are dredging each side. Lightly shake off any excess and (very carefully) place the fillets into the oil. I found it easiest to place the fillet onto a wide spatula and then use that to lower it into the oil to avoid getting my hands close to 385 degree oil!
The oil will start sizzling but it shouldn't actually splatter. Watch the temperature and do not let it go below 375 degrees. The fish will only take about 5 minutes to cook, so flip a couple times during that process. After 5 minutes remove the fish with a slotted spatula or spoon to avoid scooping up any oil. Place on paper towels on a plate to make sure, but if done correctly there shoudl be barely any oil on the fish at all!
Hush Puppies
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. low fat buttermilk
3 tbsp. grated onion or onion powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. flaked red pepper
1 large egg
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)
You'll now be frying the hush puppies the same way! So keep that oil hot. (And if you did the fish first, get the dough for these ready as the fish fries so you can pop them in right after.) Make sure to reheat the oil up to 385 between items so that when you put the food in it does not dip below 375.
Combine all of the ingredients - flour, corn meal, buttermilk, grated onion, baking powder, salt, red pepper, and egg (beaten) - in a bowl. Stir until well mixed. It should be a gooey, sticky, rather liquid-y dough. Wet your fingers so that the dough won't stick. Then form about 1 tbsp of dough into a ball and place in the oil. Continue with all of the dough, rewetting your fingers halfway through if needed. Fry for five minutes, flipping over and around frequently. Remove with a slotted spoon, place on paper towels, and enjoy with the tartar sauce you made for the fish.
Arugula-Roasted Fig Salad
Time: 30 minutes (mostly cooling/baking time)
Ingredients:
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
5 Black Mission figs
arugula
1/3 c. crumbled goat cheese
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
(this recipe is based upon a similar one from Cooking Light)
Get your oven preheating to 425 because since the first step is to roast the figs. Cut the figs in half and trim off any stems. Toss them in a bowl with the cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, and salt. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and remove the figs with a slotted spoon, placing them on the dish. Keep the vinegar mixture to the side.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, place the figs off to the side on a plate, and immediately (before it has any time to cool) pour the vinegar mixture you had set aside into the hot pan. Scrape any browned bits up. Then pour the vinegar into a bowl and let the vinegar and figs cool.
Once those have reached room temperature, place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the goat cheese, figs, and black pepper. Drizzle on the vinegar mixture and toss well. Serve immediately.
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