I come from a seafood loving family!  Not only do we love to eat seafood; we love to catch it, too!  I could bait a hook when I was five and learned to take a catfish off a hook without getting finned shortly thereafter. Catfish don’t sting, but they have sharp fins that can really do some damage to your hands.
Don’t know how I got off on all that catfish stuff, because what I really want to share is my Top 5 Southern Seafood Recipes I’ve collected over the years. Â I’ve eaten seafood all over the world, but I’ve yet to find fried fish and hushpuppies as good as my mom’s. Â I’m completely serious. Â Her fried fish has the perfect amount of crispiness and is not greasy at all.
These days, I reserve fried foods for special occasions. Â Every time I travel to visit mom is a special occasion!
Helpful Hint:  The main reason fried foods are greasy (that’s southern speak) or oily, it’s usually because the oil is not hot enough.  I grew up on fried foods, so I can pretty much eyeball it, but if you can’t, get a thermometer.  Ideally, oil for frying should be between 325º to 350º.
Peanut oil is the only oil my family uses when it comes to deep frying. It has a neutral taste, high smoke point, and low levels of saturated fats.
Here are my Top 5 Southern Seafood Recipes:
1. Â Fried Fish
This is my mom’s simple and delicious fried fish recipe. Â It doesn’t get any better than this.
I realize that hushpuppies are not seafood, but you can’t have fried fish without them. Â At least in my opinion. Â My brother, Stan, makes hushpuppies just like mom’s. Â That’s why they’re so good!
3. Â Biff’s Parmesan Topped Oyster Bake
Anytime we get together at St. George Island, my nephew, Biff, gets requests for his baked oysters.
This is my recreation of the lobster bites that I order every single time I eat at The Flamingo Grill in Myrtle Beach.
I’m not from New Orleans, but I make a mean shrimp Po boy. Â Just ask my husband.
Are you a seafood lover? Â If so, what’s your favorite seafood?