What do you most commonly use for breading when you fry your fish? And what do you use to adhere the breading to the fish instead of egg/milk?

I am old school when it comes to frying fish...

My mom used flour seasoned with salt and pepper and that is what I use as well. Just a quick drag of the filet through the dry mix and in the pan it goes. No wet mixture needed to adhere and no gummy breading. Really let's the taste of the fish shine through.

In the south we take 1 cup corn meal add two tablespoons flour, salt, pepper, pinch of paprika. Never had a problem with it sticking to the fish.

We pat the fillets dry with paper towel and coat with a finely ground mix, like Andy's, shaken in a plastic bag. No milk or egg needed and it keeps the coating to a minimum.

If you are from North Carolina, you know House Autry. It even makes (ugh!) catfish taste good.

(Too bad they don't make something for Lutefisk)

We use shore lunch beer batter. However, our favorite is a simple spiced flour (garlic, lemon pepper, dill) place in a bag and shake, salt after its cooked. This maintains the best fish taste. But for a traditional batter, I use 3 bags. One has flour, one dyed eggs (add water to re-hydrate), one has the breading ( flour, spice and bread crumb mix). Shake in each and cook.

Andy's seasoning is the best in my book.

Lots of great pre mixes on the market but theres something about creating your own that feels right to me

MY down and dirty breading mix that was confessed in trade for a spare reddish fishing lure (he didn’t have one and the fish weren’t hitting anything else that afternoon)
2 cups bisquit mix.
1 cup corn meal
4 tablespoons of self-rising flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
Here’s the big secret add a cup of finely ground Ritz crackers.
Over the years I’ve added other stuff from lemon pepper to ground chili’s. I’ve used this for fish, soft crabs and oysters with great success.
Feel free to steal/use/change however you feel the need

we use a variety of items. seasoned flour-shorelunch- instant potato flakes is one of my favs. eggs are for breakfast in the BW we just moisten fish fillets with water.

I use many different store bought mixtures. Then I add a cup of finely ground corn meal mix. Once I coat the fillets, I set them aside to let the mix adhere to the fillets.. A little cayenne doesn't hurt. This year I'm gonna experiment with a little poor mans lobster. Bon appitite.....

Being from Southern Maryland it occured to me that some of you might be missing this magic dust to add to camp foods


magic food dust

quote HammerII: "Being from Southern Maryland it occured to me that some of you might be missing this magic dust to add to camp foods



magic food dust "

A friend brought this on a trip a few years ago and now we can't go without! That stuff is amazing!

quote adludwig: "

quote HammerII: "Being from Southern Maryland it occured to me that some of you might be missing this magic dust to add to camp foods



magic food dust "

A friend brought this on a trip a few years ago and now we can't go without! That stuff is amazing!"

ditto to the ditto. Just add some to flour, coat both sides of the fish and cook. sometimes I'll mix in some corn meal too.

I usually just dredge my fillets in what ever dry batter I am using. Then I wait 5-10 minutes for it to soak up the batter (looks slightly wet) then dredge them again! nice crisp fish that way.

How does old bay enhance the flavor

Since I generally have multiple fish means per trip, I try to vary how they are fixed. The batter generally runs in the direction of corn meal (e.g., Zatarain's Southern Fish Fry (Crispy) ), but what I prefer is to lightly fry fillets in Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Seasoning to give it a little "French Quarter" kick. And for frying fish ... its always peanut oil!

dd

My favorite is Louisiana Fish mix products. Very tasty. Nothing added to make mix adhere. Just moist filets. Works great.

Now if I was in the kitchen might do it a little different with a beer batter to make a light fluffed up crunchy crust.

Eat Well

I just scrolling thru some of these old posts.
The last time we caught enough fish to eat we used corn meal and old bay.
It was quite tasty.

Half cornmeal, half Bisquik, add Tony Cachere creole seasoning til you can smell it. (Not too much or it gets salty. You can use the light version also, if the salt is a concern. )

single coat method: Rinse fillets, toss in breading, let sit until the breading appears wet. Fry till she floats. Toss in breading again. Fry till she floats!

double coat method: I like mine crunchy so rinse fillets, toss in breading, let sit until the breading appears wet. Toss in breading again. Fry till she floats!

2/3 plain white cornmeal and 1/3 flour. or white cornbread MIX . Dredge, sit a minute and press n again. Deep or pan fry in pretty hot oil. PREHEAT. Brown golden, salt and wipe with a stick of butter. Variants are blackened seasoning, tony's, dill, lemon pepper. This is basic and often. 90% of the time.

This might sound weird, but coat the fillets in mustard, wipe the excess off, then coat in half cajun and half original shore lunch. Can't taste the mustard, but adds a great flavor and crunch. Heard about this from an old neighbor at my cabin. It's terrific!!

Zwater: "This might sound weird, but coat the fillets in mustard, wipe the excess off, then coat in half cajun and half original shore lunch. Can't taste the mustard, but adds a great flavor and crunch. Heard about this from an old neighbor at my cabin. It's terrific!!"

We have started doing this with Franks Red Hot Sauce. Awesome, really does something to the breading when it fries up and makes it much more crispy.

I will have to try this mustard coating and 1/2 Cajun + 1/2 Shore Lunch recipe the next time I do fish. I like a crunchy finished filet after frying.

You won't be disappointed! I do a big fish fry every year at my cabin for all the neighbors. They all love it! I only get a few pieces coming out of the fryer. The rest is eaten already:)

Zwater

What kind of Cajun seasoning do you use with your Shorelunch? Do you do an egg wash before you dip fish into your breading ?

Shorelunch has Original, Cajun and Italian seasoned fish batter. I mix half Original and half Cajun Shorelunch. All Cajun Shorelunch is too spicy for me.
I just dry the fillets with a paper towel, dredge the fillets in a bowl of mustard, wipe off the excess, then put them in a gallon ziploc bag with half Cajun and Original Shorelunch. Shake the bag, and put them in the fish fryer.
Delicious!

Thanks for the complete fish breading recipe. I can’t wait to give it a try. Ummm.

Wally13: "Thanks for the complete fish breading recipe. I can’t wait to give it a try. Ummm."

Your welcome. I can tell by one of your album photos, you know how to cook fish in a pan. Hot oil half way up a fillet:)
When you try it, report back. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Zwater: "Shorelunch has Original, Cajun and Italian seasoned fish batter. I mix half Original and half Cajun Shorelunch. All Cajun Shorelunch is too spicy for me.
I just dry the fillets with a paper towel, dredge the fillets in a bowl of mustard, wipe off the excess, then put them in a gallon ziploc bag with half Cajun and Original Shorelunch. Shake the bag, and put them in the fish fryer.
Delicious!"

Sounds good. I'm going to give it a try. Any preference to the type of mustard.....brown, yellow, etc?
Thanks........Mike

I use just yellow mustard. Never tried anything else, but a dijon might be good too.

Zwater
I tried your recipe and it turned out really nice. Thanks for the recipe!
......mike

That's great! That's how we cook all our fish now.

OBX2Kayak: "If you are from North Carolina, you know House Autry. "

House Awtry is what we use, but we use their Medium Hot Breader and standard Shorelunch (that can be purchased anywhere) in a 50/50 mixture. The medium hot breader is a very fine breading that doesn't cake on the fillets and adds all the spices (and then some). The Shorelunch tones everything down to a very flavorful fish fry. Not too hot and not bland either. We really like it.