How To: Prepare Betty's Southern oven-broiled catfish dinner

What could be more Southern than catfish? But how do you cook it up? Betty shows you a recipe for delicious broiled breaded catfish!

Ingredients:

½ stick butter or margarine, melted (I used margarine.)
2 tablespoons lemon juice ( I used reconstituted lemon juice from a jar.)
4 or 5 fresh catfish fillets (1 ½ pounds)
1 cup Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs
Lemon wedges for garnish

In a small, shallow bowl, combine ½ stick melted butter or margarine and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. In a second small, shallow bowl, place 1 cup of Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs. Dredge each piece of fish in the breadcrumbs, then dip in the butter mixture, and dredge again in the breadcrumbs. Place the breaded fish fillets on the rack of a broiler pan. (I cover mine with aluminum foil for easy clean-up; you can spray with cooking oil spray instead.) Broil the fish about 5 or 6 inches away from heat, with the oven door partially open, for about 10 minutes, or when fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Watch the broiling process carefully, as the breading can get too dark. If the breading darkens before the fish flakes, you may want to use a spatula and carefully turn each fillet over to brown the other side while the fish cooks completely. This fish will be very tender, so you will need to carefully transfer it to a serving platter when done. Garnish with lemon wedges, which may be squeezed over the top of the catfish before eating. I hope you enjoy this full Southern Catfish Dinner—Southern Broiled Catfish, Tart and Tangy Tartar sauce, Deep-Fried French Fries, Done-In-A-Snap Country Style Green Beans, and Doggone Good Hush Puppies, accompanied by fresh lemonade made from my Lemonade Syrup Splash, and a Mid-Summer Melon Salad! I made this dinner using a minimal amount of fat and calories, so that you could enjoy a traditional Southern catfish feast without the guilt! Eat up!!!