Fried Catfish Nuggets for the Super Bowl Crowd?

Wow!  Had technical problems with my computer-tied to my phone service for a couple of days  This is the recipe for day 24 which should have been yesterday.

There's no way I could possibly share a 30-day recipe collection without including a favorite food of mine.  CATFISH!  And, in particular; fried catfish nuggets!  Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, we could fish for catfish in the clean waters of the Severn River at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.  There was no pollution.  So even though catfish were called "bottom-feeders," the Bay and the river were so clean, the risk
of contamination was so extremely slight, that it was unheard of.  Now, of course, I get farm-raised catfish raised in certified waters.  I buy whole catfish or fillets or even pieces (nuggets) from my local supermarket.

I can eat it anytime and any day of the week.  Since I could eat half the whole batch below by myself, I would have to cook a lot for a Super Bowl crowd.  Catfish for four people is my limit.  So you might have to consider whether you want to have fried catfish for your Super Bowl crowd, too.  You don't want to have to spend all your time in the kitchen while everyone is watching the game.  You would no doubt have to keep replenishing the platter.

Fried Catfish Nuggets

2 lbs catfish fillets or nuggets
1 cup yellow corn meal
½ cup crushed Panko (Korean or Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried parsley
Vegetable or Peanut Oil

If you have fillets, cut them into 1 inch pieces or nuggets.  Mix cornmeal, Panko, salt, pepper and dried seasonings in a thick brown paper bag.  Drop nuggets into bag and shake until well coated.  

Heat oil to hot in a large heavy skillet (cast-iron is my favorite).  Fry catfish in batches in a single layer.  Do not crowd.  Cook until golden brown; about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Drain on brown paper bag or newspaper covered with a paper towel.

Serve with homemade dipping sauce.

Homemade Dipping Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
3 Tsp dill relish
Couple of dashes of hot sauce

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