I've eaten fried fish as long as I can remember. As a kid, we kept most everything that was big enough to cook. Bass, bullhead catfish, and bluegill all went into the skillet. Now, we mostly cook crappie with an occasional bass or two thrown in. I release 99% of the bass we catch, but I think the smaller 15" bass are good eating too. There are many fish fryers on the market, electric and propane. I'm sure these work well, but I've never purchased one. I've had cast iron pots for a long time, so this is what I use. We have 2 cast iron kettles. One is 10" and 5" deep, flat on the bottom, the other is a "cowboy" style dutch oven, 12" by 5" deep, with 3 small legs on the bottom. I've used this one on a Coleman camp stove, as the legs fit down between the grates. Cast iron is heavy, but holds heat very well, and heat control is really the secret to cooking anything. As colder fillets are dropped into the oil, it's important to keep the oil hot, which cooks the fish better. Over the years, We've tried different batters- flour, cornmeal, or both. They are both good, but I'm wanting to try some of the fish batters from the grocery store too. We have a big fish fry every July4rth. Seldom are any left. For you fish lovers: do you have any special batters or seasoning you like to use? I especially like my fried fish with a couple shots of Louisiana hot sauce. What are your methods for cooking fish? I love a fish fry.
