History

Catfish is the South's working-river fish. Farms in west Tennessee and the Mississippi Delta supplied Nashville fish fries through the 20th century. The dish became a Friday-night fixture in Black-owned restaurants and meat-and-three counters. Today catfish lives on at Swett's, the Loveless and most meat-and-three menus around Nashville, always with cornmeal coating and never with batter.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 catfish fillets (about 180g each)
  • 240ml buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 200g fine yellow cornmeal
  • 50g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • Neutral oil for frying
  • Lemon wedges and tartar sauce to serve

Method

  1. Soak the catfish fillets in buttermilk mixed with hot sauce for 30 minutes.
  2. Combine cornmeal, flour, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper in a wide shallow dish.
  3. Heat oil to 180C (350F) in a deep heavy pot.
  4. Lift each fillet from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Press into the cornmeal mix on all sides.
  5. Fry the fillets two at a time for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown and floating.
  6. Drain on a wire rack. Salt while hot. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Tip from the editors. Fine cornmeal sticks better than coarse. Pat the fish dry only after the buttermilk soak.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat fried catfish

Fried catfish in Nashville

Loveless Cafe ★ 4.2

Country breakfast with biscuits$13-22south-nashvilleMon-Thu 08:00-21:00, Fri-Sun 07:00-21:00OpenTable

Loveless Cafe on Highway 100 in Nashville has served scratch biscuits, country ham and redeye gravy since 1951, anchoring the Natchez Trace's tourist circuit.

Order: Country ham with redeye gravy and biscuits

Tip: Lines build by 09:00 weekends; put your name down and shop the on-site Hams & Jams Country Market while you wait.

8400 Hwy 100, Nashville, Tennessee 37221

Arnold's Country Kitchen ★ 4.6

the-gulch

Arnold's meat-and-three lunch in Nashville delivers a protein plus three vegetables and tea for under $15. James Beard America's Classics Award winner since 2009.

Try: Meat-and-three plate

Tip: Lunch only, Monday to Friday 10:30 to 14:30; cafeteria line moves fast. Cash and card.

605 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Monell's Dining and Catering ★ 4.4

Meat-and-three$$germantown

Monell's family-style Southern dining in Germantown, Nashville has run since 1995, seating strangers at communal tables in a Victorian house north of the Capitol.

Signature: Family-style Southern lunch, Skillet fried chicken

Order: The full family-style spread: fried chicken, country ham, mac and cheese, greens.

Tip: Reservations available; tables seat ten. Sunday brunch is the marquee meal, books a week ahead.

1235 6th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208 Book →

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