DEEP FRIED DRUM

Using your favorite wet or dry batter, coat skinned and deboned freshwater drum fillets and deep-fry in oil.* Fry small fillets for 5-6 minutes and larger fillets for 7-9 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily when tested with a fork. For extra crispy fillets, extend frying time by 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve plain, with tartar sauce, or on a bun. Experiment with different tastes by adding garlic salt, oregano, celery salt, pars-ley flakes, or your favorite herb to the batter. *Oil must be hot. Oil which is not at frying temperature is the biggest cause of greasy, uncooked, and bad tasting fish. To test oil temperature, drop a small amount of batter into oil. If it bubbles and boils immediately, then the oil is hot enough.