JEDI CHEF TRAVELS

Fresh off the grill, Kitchen 377 is the newest short order dining experience. Whether you’re just stopping by for convenience store needs or trying your luck at the Megastar Casino, it’s the place to be. It boasts of several hamburgers, sandwiches, and salads; this cafe has a little something for everyone.

Our first order was the fried catfish. Two huge pieces of cornmeal breaded and lightly fried fish filets, served with pinto beans, french fries, and hushpuppy sticks. There was so much food, it came on two separate plates.

I opted on the chopped steak stack. This entree consisted of fresh mashed potatoes sandwiched between two succulent hamburger patties and smothered with sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions in a deep rich demi-glaze. The crunch factor was added by fried onion rings on top of the stack. The dish is typically served with green beans, however, the staff allowed me to substitute the green beans for Santa Fe beans and Texas toast.

The food at Kitchen 377 will be a sure bet, and the odds are in your flavor. Until next time, I will drop you a favorite fish fry of mine and I’ll save ya a seat.. Jedi Chef Stryker.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

This frying method works with pretty much any thin fish fillet: If you can’t find catfish, use tilapia, bass, flounder, walleye, perch, rockfish, croaker or black sea bass.

Ingredients

4-6 catfish fillets, about 1-2 pounds

1 cup milk or buttermilk

Salt

3/4 cup fine cornmeal (do not use coarsely ground cornmeal)

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Oil for frying (use peanut oil if you can)

1 Heat oil in pan, heat warming oven: In a heavy frying pan —I prefer to use cast iron — pour enough oil to come 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the pan on medium-high. Heat your oven to 200°F and lay a cookie sheet inside. Place a wire rack on top of the cookie sheet.

2 Soak catfish in milk or buttermilk: While the oil is heating, soak the catfish in the milk or buttermilk.

3 Mix together cornmeal, flour, spices for dredging: Mix the cornmeal, flour and spices together. Or you can substitute your favorite seasoning instead. Place in a shallow dish for dredging.

4 Dredge fillets in flour mixture, then fry in hot oil: Let the oil reach 350°F — a good test is to flick a little of the dry breading into the oil, and if it sizzles at once, you’re good to go. Once the oil is hot, sprinkle the catfish fillets with salt and dredge them into the breading. Shake off the excess and gently lay into the hot oil.

Fry until golden brown, about two to four minutes, depending on how thick the fillet is. Use a metal spatula and gently turn the fish over and cook for another two to four minutes. Cast iron heats up and stays hot, so monitor the heat as you fry; you may need to lower the heat on the burner at some point.

5 Keep cooked fillets warm in oven: Once the fish is ready, move it to the oven while you cook the rest of the catfish. Keeping the fried catfish warm in the oven will help keep it crispy.