I have been sharing daily soul food recipes on my Twitter and Facebook pages for Black History Month. That is how I realized I was missing a fried fish recipe on my site. To remedy that, I’m sharing my recipe for crispy pan fried fish without eggs.
Fried fish is a typical soul food dinner dish but it isn’t something that I make a lot. One reason is that “my guys” don’t really like fish a lot. Secondly, I don’t fry a lot of dishes. I reserve fried dishes for special requests or occasions.
If I make something though, I want to make the best version that I can. “Success leaves clues” is one of my favorite quotes that I apply to practically every area of my life – including cooking.
If I don’t know how to make something, I think about the best version of the dish that I have tasted. Then, I ask the person who made it. (If someone mentions that their recipe is a family secret or something like that, I respect that and move on to ask the “next best” version person for their recipe.)
The best fried fish that I remember tasting recently was actually from a restaurant, Rockaway Fish House. I had two questions so I called and asked them…
- What type of fish do you use? (Whiting)
- Do you use cornmeal or flour? (A combination of the two)
With those two answers, I was easily able to make my version of Southern Crispy Pan Fried Fish.
Crispy Pan Fried Fish Without Eggs
Southern Fried Whiting
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 whiting fish fillets
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- Preferred seasonings (I use seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.)
- Old Bay seasoning
- Vegetable Oil
Directions
1. Pour 1/4 ” to 1/2″ of vegetable oil into a skillet and heat to 350°F on medium heat.
2. Drain the fish fillets after they have been cut in half and dipped in water.
3. Lightly season the fish on both sides with your preferred seasonings.
4. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the cornmeal and flour together. Place each piece of fish in the mixture – evenly coating by turning the fish several times.
5. Sprinkle the coated fish with Old Bay seasoning.
5. Work in batches. Fry the fish (four pieces at a time) until the fish is a light golden brown. When done, the fish should flake easily with a fork.
6. Drain the excess oil from the fried fish with paper towels.
Recipe Notes:
*Some people use an egg wash for a thicker coating on their fried foods -including fried chicken and fish. You can, but I don’t. (If you want to do so, you can dip the fish in a mixture of 1/2 cup milk and 1 lightly beaten egg before placing it in the cornmeal/flour mixture.)
*You can use white or yellow cornmeal.
*I like to let the coated fish sit for 20 minutes before frying so that the coating stays on better while the fish is being fried.
*The frying time will vary based on the thickness of the fish. Three to six minutes per side (six to twelve minutes total) tend to be the frying time range to get the best crispy fish.
This crispy pan fried fish without eggs is great to eat in a variety of ways. I like to eat it in a sandwich with some hot sauce. If I serve it for dinner though, collard greens and potato salad are great sides. However you eat it, enjoy!
If you found this recipe helpful, please share it. Thanks!
