Deep Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies

Catfish or "hito" is usually served here in the Philippines as "inihaw na hito." If the fish was taken from a muddy water, it should be kept alive in a clean running water for a few days to get rid of the "mud" flavor; if from a clean water, it must be cooked immediately.

For the Hush Puppies, the following are needed:

• 3 cups of boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups of cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• a large onion, finely chopped
• deep fat for frying

1. Slowly add the cornmeal to the boiling water, stirring it constantly using a wooden spoon. Make sure the cornmeal doesn't "lump."

2. Add the onion and keep cooking until it becomes very smooth and slightly thickened.

3. Drop by spoonfuls (using the same wooden spoon) into the very hot fat (after the fish are fried in it) and turn them from time to time.

4. Wait for them to become nicely browned on both sides. Then, remove them.


For the main dish, the following are needed:

• catfish
• cracker/cornmeal
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• lard/vegetable oil

1. Clean and skin the catfish. Then, cut into thick slices.

2. Dip those slices into cracker/cornmeal; then, into a mixture of egg and milk, again, into the cracker/cornmeal.

3. The fat/vegetable oil must be very hot.

4. Fry the coated fish until it becomes golden brown. (Do not crowd the fish)

5. Serve at once with hush puppies fried in the same fat as the fish.