Catfish with Bacon and Onions

The title of this recipe tells you exactly what you're going to get: catfish, bacon, and onions. The catfish is coated in cornmeal and is then pan-fried in bacon fat, served over a bed of fried onions (also cooked in bacon fat), and topped with crumbled bacon. The flavors of the ingredients in this recipe complement one another so well, that it's a dish you'll certainly want to prepare when you're in the mood for some real Southern comfort food.

Top ideas for dinner tonight:

30-minute (or less) spring dinners

Quick and easy chicken dishes

Garden-fresh entrée salads

ingredients

4 8- to 10-ounce fresh or frozen pan-dressed catfish or other whitefish

1 beaten egg

/14 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

6 slices bacon

2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings

Shortening or cooking oil for frying

directions

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse; pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish combine egg and buttermilk. In another shallow dish combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper. Dip fish into egg mixture. Then roll fish in cornmeal mixture.

In a 12-inch skillet cook bacon over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp, turning often. Drain on paper towels; crumble into large pieces. Set aside.

Using the same skillet, remove all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings; reserve remaining drippings. Heat over medium heat. Add onions. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender but not brown, stirring often. Transfer to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; keep warm in a 300 degree F oven.

In the same skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved drippings over medium heat, adding shortening or oil, if needed. Add 2 of the fish. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden. Turn carefully. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes more or until golden and crisp and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Drain on paper towels. Place in the same pan with onions; return to the oven. Repeat frying remaining fish, addition additional shortening or oil as needed. To serve, arrange fish on a platter; spoon onions over fish. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve with Tartar Sauce recipe or purchased tartar sauce, if desired. Makes 4 servings.