From Soul Food · 1997 · Reconstructed
Deep-Fried Catfish
Serve when
Serve it alongside everything else on the Sunday table — the fish that shows up whenever the family's cooking for real.
In the movie
Theatrical
- 01:26:51 Someone offers Uncle Pete a plate at the family table — 'You want some catfish?' — the fried fish that's part of every real Sunday spread in the film.
- ~01:37:53 Ahmad's narration over the family's reunion cooking montage names it directly — 'dumplings, deep-fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, and sweet corn bread' — the smells that bring the good old days back.
Catfish is the dish that shows up whenever the family is actually cooking together and not just fighting over who has to — offered plate to plate at the table, and named again in the reunion montage near the end, when the smells in the kitchen finally mean the good days are back.
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the catfish in the buttermilk and hot sauce at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Whisk the cornmeal, flour, and seasonings together.
- Lift each fillet straight from the buttermilk into the cornmeal mix, pressing to coat heavy on both sides.
- Fry in 350°F oil, 4–5 minutes a side, until the crust is deep gold and the fish flakes easily at the thickest part (145°F inside).
- Drain on a rack and serve hot with lemon and more hot sauce, alongside whatever else Big Mama's putting on the table.