LONOKE - The KIS Rule is in effect when Berry Beavers sets up to cook a mess of catfish.

KIS - Keep it Simple. That’s the core of Beavers’ technique for preparing tasty fried catfish for a few people or for a large crowd. He’s done it for years with success, nearly always followed with compliments to the chef.

Beavers is the honcho of an informal but serious crew of fish cookers working for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. They are called upon to feed meetings of AGFC employees, they volunteer at other events and they enjoy cooking outdoors for family and a few friends. Beavers is the manager of the AGFC's Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery at Lonoke.

Beavers works with large fish cookers and gas burners, but his basic method applies just as well to a home kitchen, a skillet and an electric or natural gas stove.

Berry Beavers Fried Catfish

One cup yellow corn meal

One-fourth cup all-purpose flour

Two teaspoons salt

One teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

One-half teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

One-half teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Two pounds of catfish - fillets, steaks or whole fish

Cooking oil - vegetable, pea111nut or soybean

Combine the dry ingredients in a plastic bag and shake to mix. Put the catfish in the plastic bag and shake to coat well. Fill a skillet halfway to the top with cooking oil and heat to 350 to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry catfish in a single layer for 7 to 8 minutes. Fish should flake easily with a fork when done. Remove the fish and drain on paper towels.

Beavers said a good estimate of fish needed is a half pound per person. The plastic bag can be an empty bread wrapper or something sturdier like a freezer bag. The quantities listed can be stretched to prepare a larger amount of fish, but for a large crowd, increase the ingredients proportionally.

Don’t crowd the fish in the skillet. If you have to cook a bunch, do it a skillet full at a time or use two or more skillets.