Catfish Po' Boys Get the Extra-Crispy Treatment with Tortillas

Show: Chopped
catfish po' boys

For this week's Chopped Dinner Challenge, the chefs of Food Network Kitchen chose to feature the basket ingredient catfish. They determined that its sweet, flaky flesh was perfect for frying, and in this case, the fish doesn’t get fried in just any kind of breading. Using pulverized corn tortillas in this Tortilla-Crusted Catfish Po' Boys recipe is not only a good use for leftover tortillas from taco night, but also a great way to add lots of texture, more than you could ever get from breadcrumbs. A mixture of buttermilk and Cajun-seasoned flour functions as the glue. Serving the catfish as po' boy sandwiches is the perfect Southern twist and a great way to enjoy a fun meal with the family.

Start by getting your breading station ready. First cut the catfish fillets into strips. Combine the flour with the Cajun seasoning. Then add some more Cajun seasoning to the buttermilk. Pulse the tortillas in a food processor until finely ground. Start breading the catfish in batches by dipping the strips in the flour first, then the buttermilk, and finally the tortilla crumbs. Fry the catfish in batches for about 5 minutes in vegetable oil heated to 350 degrees F.

For assembling the sandwiches, make the special sauce by combining the mayonnaise and some more Cajun seasoning. Spread it evenly onto the four rolls. Top each with iceberg lettuce, tomato slices and the fried catfish. Serve with hot sauce for anyone who would like some additional heat.

Chopped Dinner Challenge

The Chopped Dinner Challenge is a series of recipes showing you how easy it is to cook like a winning Chopped competitor. Every week, FN Dish will showcase a recipe created by Food Network Kitchen that uses at least one of the Chopped basket ingredients from an episode, plus basic grocery goods and simple staples. Consider it your very own Chopped challenge. Just take this frequent tip from the judges: Don’t forget to season!

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