By Susan Marquez, Magnolia Tribune
(Photo from msfarmcountry.com)
As a practicing Catholic, I observe the Lenten season in spiritual preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The season begins on Ash Wednesday (the day after Fat Tuesday) and runs through Easter. That’s forty days of fasting, praying, and almsgiving.
Fasting doesn’t mean that you can’t eat. It simply means limiting food intake. Catholics are called to eat one full meal and two smaller meals, with no meat (mammals and fowl) allowed on Ash Wednesday (February 18) and Good Friday (April 3), and on all Fridays during Lent. Fish, including shellfish, are permitted.
Fortunately for Mississippi Catholics, and others who want to observe Lenten practices, we have plenty of delicious, farm-raised catfish, and restaurants around the state offer catfish platters complete with coleslaw, fries, and hushpuppies for the Friday fasters.
Here are a few of the many popular places Mississippians go to get their catfish fix on Fridays.
Jerry’s Catfish House
This you-can’t-miss-it spot is easy to find – just look for the giant dome on Highway 49 South in Florence. Jerry’s has been a local favorite since it was founded by Jerry Lederer in 1946.
Their catfish is perfectly battered and fried, and the hush puppies will make you want to come back for more.
Hal and Mal’s
Catfish is served with a side of the blues every Friday at Hal & Mal’s in Jackson.
Mississippi bluesman Jesse Robinson (who recently received the Governor’s Arts Award for Entertainer of the Year) plays the blues from 11am to 1pm, while chef Damien Cavicchi serves up perfectly fried catfish with golfball-sized hushpuppies.
Taylor Grocery
It’s not much to look at, but Taylor Grocery is doing something right. The restaurant has been a popular spot for catfish for more than a century.
Folks have referred to it as “The Catfish Place” since Jerry and Evie Wilson began frying up catfish in Taylor in 1977. Today, they serve catfish whole or filleted, and it is offered fried, blackened, or grilled.
Aunt Jenny’s Catfish Restaurant
When Good Morning America was looking for their “Best Bite in America,” Aunt Jenny’s in Ocean Springs rose to the top for the state of Mississippi.
Despite access to all the fresh Gulf seafood at their disposal, it’s catfish that folks want to eat at Aunt Jenny’s.
Cock of the Walk
It’s catfish with a view at Cock of the Walk, located on the banks of the Barnett Reservoir in Ridgeland. A chain with locations in Mississippi and Nashville, Cock of the Walk began in Natchez in 1977. Their specialty is crisp, fried catfish with hushpuppies, coleslaw, pickled onions, and cornbread in a cast-iron skillet.
The talented wait staff awes guests by flipping the cornbread into the air and catching it in the skillet. The panoramic view of the reservoir from inside the restaurant is something you never get tired of.
Moss Creek Fish House
Patrons rave about the thin-sliced catfish at Moss Creek Fish House in Pearl. The family-owned restaurant offers the fish thin-sliced or whole, served fried, grilled, or blackened.
They also offer po’boys, fried oysters, boom boom or boiled shrimp, and fried dill pickles.