Pat catfish fillets dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Submerge fillets, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) to tenderize and season.

Prep coating

In a wide shallow bowl or pie plate whisk together flour, cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.

Heat oil

Pour oil into a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of about 1 to 1.5 inches. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F (175°C) or a drop of batter sizzles immediately.

Coat and fry

Remove fillets from buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge each fillet in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Shake off excess. Fry fillets in batches without crowding for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C). Adjust heat to maintain 325–350°F. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven while finishing remaining fillets.

Crawfish Étouffée

Make roux

In a medium saucepan or deep skillet heat butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the 4 tablespoons flour and stir constantly, cooking until the roux turns a light golden tan (about 6–8 minutes). Be careful not to let it brown too dark — you want a blond roux for a velvet étouffée.

Cook vegetables

Add the diced onion, celery, and green bell pepper to the roux. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more to bloom flavors.

Simmer

Slowly whisk in the seafood or chicken stock until smooth. Add bay leaf, Cajun/Creole seasoning, thyme, salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly to a gravy-like consistency.

Finish with crawfish

Stir in the cooked crawfish tails and simmer just until heated through, 2–3 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning, then stir in lemon juice, sliced green onions, and chopped parsley. Keep warm; the étouffée should be saucy but spoonable over rice.

Rice

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepan combine rinsed rice, water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Plating & Garnish

To serve: Spoon about 3/4 to 1 cup of hot rice onto each plate. Ladle about 1/2 to 3/4 cup crawfish étouffée over the rice. Place one fried catfish fillet atop the étouffée. Garnish with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge. Offer hot sauce at the table if desired.