Fried Whole Crappie with Parmesan Peanut Crust
What else to do with those little crappies other than fry them and serve ‘fish & chips’ style? Exactly. Pair with your favorite beer and have yourself a very merry Fish Fry Friday. If you don’t have peanuts, use almonds or another nut in the house (just not your spouse).
Fried Whole Crappie with Parmesan Peanut Crust
Ingredients
- 7 – 10 crappie. cleaned and dressed with heads removed
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- peanut oil for frying
Spicy Tartar Sauce
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (or better yet... Wickle’s Hoagie Relish
- 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Combine all ingredients.
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl mix bread crumbs, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, ground peanuts, salt, and pepper. Coat each fish with flour, then dip in buttermilk, then coat evenly with crumb mixture.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 – 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Add fish and fry on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.