Finalist Alex McCoy's dish, July 4th: Cornmeal Crusted Catfish Po’ Boy with Celeriac Remoulade and Heirloom Tomato, for the Star Challenge, Food Stars at Home for the Holidays, as seen on Food Network Star, Season 11.
Recipe courtesy of Alex McCoy

Fried Catfish Po'Boy with Celeriac Remoulade Sauce

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 50 min
  • Active: 45 min
  • Yield: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

Celeriac Remoulade Sauce

Fried Catfish:

Assembly:

Directions

  1. For the remoulade: Combine the celeriac, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, capers, scallion, anchovy, hot sauce, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
  2. For the fried catfish: In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
  3. Set up 3 pans. In the first, mix 1/2 cup of the flour and some salt and pepper. In the second, mix the milk and the hot sauce. In the third, mix the remaining 1/2 cup flour and the cornmeal and cornstarch; season with salt and pepper
  4. Dredge the catfish fillets first through the flour, shaking off any excess. Next, dredge in the milk mixture, again shaking off the excess. Finally, dredge the catfish in the cornmeal mixture, making sure the fillets are completely coated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  5. Carefully slide the breaded fillets into the hot oil and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  6. Assemble the sandwich: Spread the cut sides of the baguettes with remoulade. Layer with sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and a catfish fillet. Chow down!