Air Fried Catfish Sticks w Fried Cheese Curds

About

If you liked eating fish sticks as a kid, you’ll really like this way healthier adult version of fish sticks! The frozen, breaded fish sticks you ate when you were younger were probably made with tilapia or cod from questionable origins, but this Keto version is made with Swai catfish fillets. Swai is a very mild fish and extremely similar to cod in taste. Instead of coating your fish sticks in breadcrumbs and deep-frying them in corn or vegetable oil, your fish sticks are made in an air fryer. All they need are some seasonings and a little olive oil! Served alongside your fish sticks are hot, gooey, fried cheese curds. These cheese curds are made with a Keto egg white batter and fried in avocado oil. That’s right, you can eat fried foods and hot cheese on the Keto diet!

What Are Cheese Curds?

When milk is being made, thick pieces of coagulated dairy have to be separated from the liquid. These thick pieces are called curds, and this is where cheese curds come from. Cheese curds are usually a snack eaten across North America. In the United States, cheese curds are normally fried, like in this recipe. In other areas of North America, cheese curds are melted over chips and french fries or simply used as a crumbled cheesy topping.

Are Swai And Catfish The Same?

Swai is the name of a type of Asian catfish. It’s a common farm-raised fish that is affordable and easy to get your hands on at a store. If you can’t happen to find Swai fillets, you can absolutely substitute them with another variety of catfish. This won’t change your macros for the recipe. For comparison, Swai typically has a much less gamey flavor than other species of catfish.

Ingredients

4 oz cheese curds
12 oz swai white fish fillets
1 teaspoon olive or extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon seasoning
1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 large raw egg, white
1 tablespoon avocado oil

Instructions

Before you make this recipe, separate your cheese curds and place them in your freezer arranges on a small plate or tray. Let them freeze for at least 30 minutes before frying the curds. After about 10 minutes, you can prepare the catfish. Rub olive oil into both sides of any swai fillets you have. In a small dish, make a spice mix of the Old Bay seasoning, white pepper, paprika, curry powder, onion powder, and dried oregano. Rub the spice seasoning into both sides of your fillets until all the flesh is covered in spices.
Cut the swai fillets into fish sticks with approximately 4×1-inch dimensions. Arrange the fish sticks on your air fryer tray. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees for 5 minutes, then place the tray of catfish sticks into your air fryer. Fry the fish sticks for 15 minutes or more, flipping them over halfway through if you notice the spices aren’t frying on one side. Fry until the seasoning on the fish sticks is dry like a fried breading and golden brown.
While the fish is in your air fryer, return your focus to the cheese curds. Whip an egg white in a stand mixer at high speed until you have stiff peaks. Make sure your mixing bowl is clean and you don’t have any yolk in the egg white, or else the whites won’t whip. Pour avocado oil into a pan for deep frying until it’s 1 ½ – 2 inches deep. Don’t worry, you will only be consuming a fraction of this oil! Heat the avocado oil over high heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees. You can test if the oil is ready by placing a small dollop of egg whites in the pan to see if it fries.
Grab a handful of frozen cheese curds from your freezer and place them in a small mixing bowl. Scoop some of the whipped egg white into the bowl and fold the cheese curds over until they’re coated in egg white. Scoop the coated cheese curds in the frying oil. Let the cheese curds fry for only about 60-90 seconds until the outside is fried to a dark golden. You may need to flip the cheese curds over as they fry. Scoop the fried cheese curds with a heat-safe slotted spoon onto a new plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil. Continue this process until all your cheese curds are fried.