Longtime readers may recall me talking about frying up some good ole cornmeal coated catfish and serving them with Jo-Jo fried potato wedges. I first had these when I lived in Little Rock, Ark. back in the mid 70’s to early 80’s. There was a locally famous BBQ restaurant that served these with their plates and everyone just loved them some Jo-Jo’s. I never could get the method down on how Mr. Joe got these big wedges of potato so crispy until I ran out of frozen french fries one night while frying up a batch of fish. The only thing I had left was a baked potato from the night before so I cut it into medium sized wedges and dumped them into the oil. Up floated big crispy Jo-Jo fries! AND I’ve done them that way ever since - even improving on them some.
Last week I asked Susan, who’d been quarantined for 10 days, if I could cook her anything and she quickly said, “Jo-Jo potato wedges”! To give her a little variety I baked up two fairly large Idaho Potatoes until almost soft (425 degree oven) and when cool cut them into large wedges. One style I dusted with the seasoned catfish corn-meal, the other I dipped into an egg-wash then rolled in salt & peppered all-purpose flour, and the third just plain wedges. Get your oil up to 350 degrees and slowly add the wedges in small batches but not crowded. They will actually pop to the top when done and I dare you to cook them all without any being “sampled”. We thought the cornmeal ones were good but tasted too much like the good catfish; We liked the flour dipped ones, too, but thought they reminded us of the kind Brookshires sells; and the third I would have never guessed were the best of the bunch. So next time you’re doing burgers or dogs and fries or a big mess of catfish try some Jo-Jo’s along with the ones you usually do and let me know what you think!
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