Deep-Fried Catfish and "Chips"

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup beer
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 4 catfish fillets, about 6 ounces each
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• tartar sauce, for serving

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and the eggs. Gradually add the beer and stir until the batter is smooth. Let the batter stand in a warm place for 1 hour, then fold in the beaten egg whites.
2. Fill a large, deep, heavy pot halfway with vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Dip the fish fillets in the beer batter and cook 2 at a time in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the fish is golden and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Drain on paper towels.
3. Dip the onion rings in the batter and fry them in batches until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
4. Serve immediately with homemade tartar sauce.

Notes

The most important part of this dish is the light beer batter — also, the "chips" are onion rings instead of potato chips. When frying, do not overcook; they should be light golden, not brown at all. Serves 4. Per serving: 545 calories, 35g carbohydrates, 29g protein, 32g fat, 184mg cholesterol.

Original card

The recipe above was transcribed from this scan of Vera’s original card.

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