Dredging Basics

• To produce a deep brown coating, the tilapia is dredged in a combination of all-purpose flour and yellow cornmeal mixed together with a variety of seasonings. This combination allows for browning and the formation of a crisp coating in the short amount of time needed for the tilapia to fry. A typical dredging flour for fried fish is made up of two parts flour and one part cornmeal. Seasonings can include salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper to taste.

Dredging Process

• Before dredging, lightly salt and pepper both sides of the tilapia. There are two ways to dredge fish for frying. The simplest way is to dredge the fish directly in the flour and fry it after shaking off the excess flour. For a thicker coating, you can add another step; beat two eggs in a small bowl, then dredge the tilapia in the flour-cornmeal mixture and use tongs to dip it into the beaten eggs. Once covered in egg, dredge the fish again with the flour mixture and fry it.

Frying the Fish

• Use a large dutch oven or similar deep frying pan for frying the tilapia. Use anywhere from two to four cups of canola or vegetable oil, depending on how much fish you plan to fry. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a thermometer to check the temperature, sprinkle a little flour in the pot; if it quickly sizzles away, it is ready. If not, wait until it does. The oil should not smoke, but it will come close. Place the tilapia in the oil and fry; turn the tilapia one time to ensure even browning. Remove the pieces of tilapia from the pan and lay them on towels to remove any excess oil before serving.

Fish Frying Tips

• Frying fish can get messy. Mitigate this by cleaning as you go. Once you season all your fish, dredge it all so that you can clean up your dredging station and get everything out of the way. For easy dredging, place the flour mixture in a container with a lid, add the fish and lightly shake the container, and you are ready to go. Do not overcrowd the frying pan, as this causes the fish to cook unevenly. Adjust the oil as needed throughout the frying if the tilapia is getting too browned before the fish is cooked.