Recipe: Cornhusk-Grilled Catfish

CORNHUSK-GRILLED CATFISH

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 catfish fillets (8 oz each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
cornhusks* freshly pulled from 8 ears corn and soaked in cold water

In a shallow glass dish, beat together the buttermilk and eggs with a fork. In another shallow dish, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and cayenne pepper and mix well. Dip each fillet first in the milk mixture and then in the flour-cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess coating.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the fillets and cook, turning only once, about 1 minute per side. Transfer fillets to a platter lined with paper towels and allow to drain.

Remove the cornhusks from the water and dry them with a towel. Place one partially cooked fillet in each cornhusk. Carefully fold the husks around the fillets, making sure the fillets remain flat, and tie the husks closed at the top with the reserved cornhusk strips.

Grill the husk-wrapped fish over a hot fire for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fillets are white all the way through. Serve at once.

*"For this recipe," writes Dori Sanders, "the migrant Mexican peach pickers taught my brother Orestus that you need fresh cornhusks. You get them by peeling the husks down to the stem of each ear of corn, being careful not to tear the husks. Then cut out the ear of corn with a knife, leaving the husks attached to each other at the base. Remove any remaining silk, cut a quarter-inch-wide strip from each husk to use as a tie, and immerse the husks in cold water for a half hour. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't, and the flavor is worth it."

Servings: 8
Source: Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand by Dori Sanders