Fried Catfish — 20 Plate Production

Production identity

Target finished yield

6 kg · approximately 20 portions at 300 g

Reference ratio

Finished mass ÷ declared primary-input basis (batch reference ratio): 100.0% (6 kg declared primary input → 6 kg finished target)

Total formula input

6 kg before trim, evaporation, absorption or transfer loss

Time

45 min active · 90 min total

Equipment

fryer · breading pans · sheet racks

U.S. major allergens intentionally present

Fish, Milk, Wheat

Additional sensitivity note

None listed.

Holding / service

Cook near demand; fried fish quality declines rapidly under humid holding.

Raw-animal-food control: where this formula includes raw animal food, use the current authority-approved cooking time/temperature and the venue’s approved procedure. Sensory doneness never substitutes for a required food-safety endpoint.

Formula — 1× target batch

Scaling table

Use the input-percentage column to audit transcription. The ½× and 2× columns scale ingredient mass only; process capacity must be revalidated.

Ingredient weights scale arithmetically; pan geometry, heat input, evaporation, fryer recovery, mixing shear, proofing/bake behavior and holding capacity do not. Revalidate process whenever batch size or equipment changes.

Method

1. Portion fish uniformly, inspect for bones/quality and keep cold until breading.

2. Season and coat lightly in buttermilk; drain excess before pressing into cornmeal-flour dredge.

3. Allow coating to set briefly while fryer recovers.

4. Fry at a load that keeps the oil in the house operating range; remove when crust is crisp and fish is just cooked through.

5. Drain, season immediately and sell with the defined sides/sauce. Record hold time; do not cover hot fried fish.

Working numbers

• 20 × 200 g raw fillets
• Fryer commonly ~350°F / 177°C; calibrate by fillet thickness and recovery
• Breading formula is intentionally more cornmeal than flour
• Very short quality hold

Production verification

• Record actual finished batch weight before portioning; compare with target and investigate material variance.
• Record actual portion count and portion mass during service rather than inferring count from target yield.
• Verify current supplier labels for major allergens and document cross-contact limits of the actual station/equipment.
• Record the process/temperature checkpoints that are critical to this formula under the venue’s approved food-safety procedure.
• Taste or otherwise evaluate the formula at its actual service temperature and after the realistic hold/travel interval.

Batch record: target yield ____ · actual yield ____ · actual portions ____ · critical process checkpoints ____ · service hold ____ · waste/rework ____ · sensory result ____ · corrective action ____.

Sensory standard

Dry crisp cornmeal crust, moist flaky catfish, clean freshwater aroma, no raw meal taste and no greasy coating.

Evaluate the control batch at pickup and again after the realistic handoff or hold. The written standard should describe the point at which the formula is still sellable and the point at which it must be remade, repurposed under an approved plan or discarded.

Failure laboratory

Version control

KECB professional training formula; validate local regulatory requirements, supplier specifications and venue procedures before production. A measured correction to the recipe becomes a documented formula revision after a controlled test; do not let different cooks maintain invisible personal versions.