Cornmeal-crusted pan-fried trout

Name: Cornmeal-crusted pan-fried trout
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 2 to 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 to 4 stocker rainbow trout, cleaned and patted dry; ½ cup buttermilk (or 1 beaten egg and 2 tbsp milk); ½ cup yellow cornmeal; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp kosher salt; ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional); ½ tsp garlic powder; Vegetable oil or bacon drippings, about ¼ inch deep in the skillet; Tartar sauce and lemon wedges, to serve

Cornmeal and fish go together across the South. A buttermilk dip, a coat of yellow cornmeal and hot oil give a crust that stays crunchy to the last bite.

Serve it the way a fish fry does, with lemon and tartar sauce.

About 25 min. Serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients

2 to 4 stocker rainbow trout, cleaned and patted dry
½ cup buttermilk (or 1 beaten egg and 2 tbsp milk)
½ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp garlic powder
Vegetable oil or bacon drippings, about ¼ inch deep in the skillet
Tartar sauce and lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Stir the cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne and garlic powder together in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk into a second dish.
Dip each trout in the buttermilk and let the extra drip off, then press it into the cornmeal mix to coat it all over, inside the cavity too if the fish is whole.
Heat ¼ inch of oil or bacon drippings in a heavy skillet to 365°F. A pinch of cornmeal should sizzle at once.
Fry the fish for 3½ to 4 minutes a side, until the crust is deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels and serve hot with tartar sauce and lemon.

Notes

Fry in batches. Too many fish in the pan drops the oil temperature and the crust turns greasy.
Cook fish to 145°F in the thickest part, which is the FDA’s temperature for fish. Check with a thermometer.
Stocked rainbows are small, so plan on about one fish per person. Our keeping guide covers the daily limit.
TPWD lists consumption advisories for some Texas waters. If you caught the fish, check the advisories for that water before you cook it.

Sources: FDA: Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely (content current as of Mar. 5, 2024), TPWD: Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories.

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