The Grocery Store Chain Where You Can Get A Fried Catfish Sandwich

Catfish is a staple in Southern cooking, whether it's coated in cornmeal and fried to golden perfection or sprinkled with flavorful spices and pan-seared until blackened. While many restaurants do fried catfish right (and others get it wrong), you shouldn't discount grocery store delis if you're looking to get your catfish fix. The popular Southern grocery chain Publix carries this delectable fish in fillet form, which it prepares in-house with a light breading. But if you're a Publix regular, has it ever occurred to you to combine the catfish with the chain's famous Pub Subs? Because you absolutely can and it makes for the tastiest seafood sandwich this side of the Atlantic.

It's not something you can order ready-made on the Publix app or website, unfortunately. If you want the sandwich assembled for you, you'll have to head to the store's deli counter and request a piece of fried catfish from the hot foods section be put on your bread of choice instead of (or alongside of, if you're feeling wild) the typical deli meat or chicken tenders.

If you don't relish the idea of interacting with strangers, you can also DIY this fried catfish sub. Using the app or website, order a sub of your choice (a veggie sub is great if the catfish is the only protein you really want), then add a portion of the deli catfish to your cart as well. Assemble and eat as messily as you like in the comfort of your own home.

Aside from a Pub Sub filling, Publix's fried catfish fillets also come in clutch when you're craving a taste of the South but don't have the time or patience to fry it up yourself. (The stores also carry fresh, uncooked catfish fillets if you are feeling up to the task.) A tasty weeknight meal could start with the fried catfish, small tortillas, sour cream, and coleslaw (it's traditionally served with barbecue, but it would make a great addition here). Put it all together to make catfish tacos that'll please the whole family while also giving your stove a break.

You could also transform them into fish cakes, which would be a spin on crab cakes that's a bit more involved than tacos but saves you the hassle of picking through crab meat for stray bits of shell. You won't need breadcrumbs because the catfish already has breading on it; just chop the fillets up into pieces and combine with other classic crab cake ingredients, including a dash of sriracha for some heat.

For a lighter lunch or dinner, pair the catfish with a bed of greens for a satisfying salad. The accompanying topping options are endless. A catfish Cobb salad might look like romaine lettuce topped with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, hardboiled egg, and bacon. An Asian salad could incorporate ingredients like fish sauce, mango, chilis, and chopped roasted peanuts.