Mississippi-Style Fried Catfish with Comeback Sauce | America’s Test Kitchen
Today, Christie Morrison shares a taste of the South with Julia Collin Davison, featuring a special remoulade-style sauce from Mississippi called Comeback Sauce. She serves it with fried catfish that uses a fine-ground cornmeal in its batter, which creates a wonderfully crunchy texture.
Fried Catfish Recipe:
Comeback Sauce:
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I think most folks like a fried food once in while but when we have to add $10 to the meal for oil it just gets too expensive, especially when it’s for 2 people. Thanks for the recipe!
Pondy- another word for mudcats 😂
I found that a first dredge in 00 flour, then wet, then the same cornflour mix. Just adds a little extra to the crunch and sticking power of breading.
Wouldn't masa harina be just as good for the powder?
I only care about the Come Back Sauce. We dont have Catfish where I live. Long live the sauce.
I live in S Mississippi. I have never heard of cream meal. We do have corn flour which is often packaged and sold as "fish fry". Zatarain's is a popular brand out of south Louisiana. It comes seasoned and unseasoned.
Did you go to the Catfish Festival in Belzoni?
I’m not mature enough to make that sauce.
I need to try that with crappie.
I LOVE fried catfish! Have been known to eat leftovers cold out of the refrigerator for breakfast and loved it, too!
Awesome Looking fried catfish!!!!!
And that comeback sauce sounds like it would be Great with the fish 🐟……
Mississippi is a big state and there are many subtle (some not so subtle) differences between the northern part and the southern part of the state. If you go to Charlie’s Catfish House in Laurel, you’ll get only whole bone in catfish and it is superb. They’ve been serving fried catfish and fixings since the mid-70’s. You’ll only get coleslaw, fries and hushpuppies there. And then there’s Stringer’s To-Go at Shady Grove — fillets only there — and they do have comeback sauce but they just call it pink sauce. Also very good fish there.
Didn’t ever think I’d like catfish, but I had one in a home meal prep kit and it was the best fish I’ve ever had. Tasted great, soft texture, and most important- no fishy smell.
I don't know why but it has become so hard to find fried catfish anywhere for a long time. Guess I'll have to make my own!
Can you use masa flour instead of grinding the corn meal finer?
Mix corn meal and corn starch to get same effect.
I am a born and reared Mississippian. We do not eat comeback with our catfish. It’s served with fries, homemade hush puppies and homemade coleslaw and for dessert… lemon ice box pie. Sliced onions, sliced lemon for some folks, ketchup, hot sauce, tartar served as condiments … a pitcher of sweet tea.
Looks like she Really likes it
This is soooooooo beautiful and tasty recipes😂❤❤
I used to live in the south, many years ago, and I actually have been to Oxford Mississippi, and I had a lot of great catfish in both Mississippi and in arkansas. This recipe takes me back to those days. There was also a great place in Mountain View Arkansas that had awesome catfish, right on the White river. If I ever get back down that way, I'll have to see if that restaurant is still there.
Not seasoning catfish was a choice
Curious: why is this only good for 5 days in the fridge? Because onion can spoil?
Why yes! this recipe segment did end rather abruptly. The final 60 seconds:
Julia: And the sauce – I love it!
Christie: You're gonna comeback for more?
J: Yeah. Much like the grinding of the cornmeal, where I'm thinking about all the different recipes I could use that in, the sauce…would go with so much!
J: It would be great with shrimp. It would be good with roast beef on a sandwich.
C: Mm-hmm.
J: And I just – I can't get over this coating! I mean it's perfectly even. Again, thanks to grinding some of that cornmeal.
C: Mm-hmm.
J: I mean it just coats every nook and cranny. But you can still taste the catfish…
C: Mm-hmm.
J: …which has a very sweet, mild flavor. Christie, this is delicious! Thank you!
C: Thank you!
J: Not only did your trip to Mississippi sound like a blast, but you brought home a real winning recipe.
C: Well, it was such a treat to go there. I'm so glad you like it!
J: Yeah. Thank you!
J: if you want to make this amazing fried catfish, start by slicing the catfish filets in half.
J: Grind half of the cornmeal into a fine powder, and serve with a tangy Comeback sauce.
J: From Cook's Country by way of Mississippi – Fried Catfish with Comeback Sauce.
J: Really inventive technique.
good fried catfish tastes "buttery". I use no sauce at all. Delicious fish is just delicious…
Great recipe for fall, can be done outside, but not around the Bears 🐻, especially the ones not in Chicago!😂
I live in Mississippi and there is nothing better than fresh catfish just fried with slaw and hush puppies. Comeback sauce is good stuff! I like it and tartar sauce both with my catfish and hush puppies.
I really like seeing Christy on ATK.
Catfish in Mississippi is no joke
Just to share the vocabulary that I was raised with for catfish: mud cats (which gives you the “pondy” taste) vs. channel cats (i.e., those fished from rivers or streams), with farm-raised being much closer to the latter.
Plastic blender jar? Yuk.
I don't like catfish, but comeback sauce is great on fries, chicken, and burgers.
You still use seed oils
Can’t wait to try this!
Mustard makes the very best glue…hands down!