Poppin' Cork-Hush My Mouth Southern Fried Fish

1 bottle Champagne, chilled
1 cup Dixie Lily hush puppy mix
1 cup Flour
16 oz. Bread crumbs, plain
4 tbsp. Lemon pepper, rounded
2 tbsp. Garlic salt
2 tbsp. Onion powder
2 tbsp. Dried onions, minced
Peanut oil
Hot sauce
Tarter sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lemon

Pop the cork on a chilled bottle of "quality" champagne and taste for quality. In a shallow dish, place fillets of snook, reds, trout, flounder or your favorite fish. Pour just enough champagne over fillets to cover. Allow 30 minutes or more "marinating" time. Pour and taste a glass of champagne to test for bubbles while combining fry mix ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.

In a deep frying pan, heat one inch of peanut oil for frying to medium to medium-high temperature. Shake fillets in floured mix, remove from bag shaking to remove excess mix. Sip champagne until fillets turn a golden brown. Turn and cook until done. Cooking time varies depending on thickness.

Garnish fish with your favorite hot sauce, tarter sauce, or serve as is. Add juice of fresh-squeezed lemons, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with grits, hush puppies, baked beans, cornbread, and of course, toast the meal with a glass of champagne.

Capt. Ray Markham         


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