FEEDS 8
I call for you to salt the fish at every step in the dredging process—the milk, flour, eggs, and the fish itself. If you don’t do this, the finished product will not be properly seasoned.
3 cups whole MILK
1/2 large YELLOW ONION, sliced
1 BAY LEAF
3 fresh THYME SPRIGS
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons KOSHER SALT
1 teaspoon freshly ground BLACK PEPPER
2 cups all-purpose FLOUR
1 tablespoon CAYENNE PEPPER
1 teaspoon SMOKED SWEET PAPRIKA
6 large EGGS
2 cups VEGETABLE OR PEANUT OIL, or as needed
4 pounds flaky WHITE FRESHWATER FISH FILLETS (such as walleye, perch, lake trout, catfish, or whitefish), or 6 pounds cleaned and gutted whole fish
Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Pour 2 cups of the milk into a bowl or casserole dish large enough to hold all the fish. Add the onion, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Mix the flour, cayenne, paprika, and 1 tablespoon salt in a bowl or shallow baking dish and divide it evenly between two dishes. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining 1 cup milk and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Set up an assembly line near the stove with the milk, flour, egg, and second flour, as well as the baking sheet.
Pour enough oil into a large cast-iron skillet to reach 1/2 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a pinch of salt into it. Working with one piece at a time, submerge the fish in the milk, dredge it in the flour, dip it into the egg mixture, and dredge it in flour again. Carefully slip the fish into the oil and repeat, coating additional pieces of fish and adding them to the pan until the pan is full but not crowded. (The fish should not touch each other.) Fry the fish for 2 to 3 minutes total for fillets, 4 to 5 minutes for whole fish, or until they are golden brown and crunchy on both sides, turning them once with a fry strainer. Transfer the fish to the prepared baking sheets to drain. Put each baking sheet in the oven to keep the fish warm while you fry the remaining fish, adding more oil as necessary and letting it heat up before adding more fish.