Start heating vegetable oil so that it is hot and ready for the fish.

In a pie plate place about 1 cup of yellow or white cornmeal. Cover the top with a layer of salt, cover the layer of salt with a layer of pepper. Mix all together.
Roll pieces of catfish into this mixture and set aside. After all pieces have been rolled dip one piece of fish at a time into a plate of which has had water poured onto it(just a shallow amount of water, but enough so that you can dip the pieces of fish in). You want to dip the fish into the water very quickly then into more of the cornmeal mixture. Drop into hot oil and fry until golden brown. As you remove the fish from the hot oil place it on a plate that has been lined with paper towels.

Catfish

Heat oil:
Dip pieces of fish into seasoned cornmeal, dip into buttermilk then back into the seasoned cornmeal. Fry as above.