Catfish Prep & Cooking

[TubeDude]

It's that time of year again.  The water is warming and the fish are getting more active.  That includes catfish.  So I start getting requests for copies of some of the catfish recipes I have shared over the years.  Figured I would post several of them together for anyone who wants to take advantage of this underrated and underappreciated fish species...on the table.

First of all, forget all the "Chicken Little" wackos who scream about all the fish in Utah Lake being polluted.  Annual tests on the fish species from Utah Lake show little to no problem with the mercury, arsenic and other toxins present in some of more "pristine" waters.  Because Utah Lake is shallow...and full of carp...it muddies up easily whenever the wind blows.  To some dimbulbs that equates to polluted.  True, there have been elevated levels of PCBs found in carp and LARGE catfish.  That's because they live longer than other species and can accumulate more stuff over a longer life.  But a catfish under about 24 inches from Utah Lake is as good as any to be found anywhere in the country.  I have eaten plenty out of the fryer and the smoker.  All good.

Willard Bay catfish are some of the best I have eaten...and I have caught and eaten catfish all over the USA.  And most of them are just right for filleting and cooking...or smoking.  Great stuff.

One of the keys to being able to enjoy catfish is proper prep.  It should be filleted and skinned.  In one of the accompanying PDF files (SMOKED KITTY PREP) I detail how to trim the fillets...removing red flesh and the yellow oily strips on some cats.  While I originally made this with smoking in mind, it is also how I trim and size the fillets for frying too.

Catfish are a heavier fleshed fish that require longer cooking time to get them thoroughly done.  And if they are served underdone, you will not be happy with the softer flesh with more of the "catfish" flavor.  Leaving them simmering in the hot oil an extra minute or two helps remove more moisture, firms them up and definitely improves the overall flavor.  So it is better to use a dry coating on your fried fillets rather than a thick wet batter.  The batter will be done before the catfish inside is done and you won't like it as well.  See the recipe on KITTIE KRISPIES.

When I talk about smoking, in that PDF file, I admit to preferring my old school Little Chief smoker.  But there are some great new smokers on the market that can control the feeding of the pellets or wood, the temperatures and humidity to make turning out good smoked stuff a lot easier and more controlled.

Feel free to throw rocks at me or ask questions.  Would also appreciate any recipes or input anybody else has to share.  That' what this is all about.

[JArner]

Thanks for sharing. I especially want to try out the fish wings.

[fish_fear_me2]

It's that time of year again.  The water is warming and the fish are getting more active.  That includes catfish.  So I start getting requests for copies of some of the catfish recipes I have shared over the years.  Figured I would post several of them together for anyone who wants to take advantage of this underrated and underappreciated fish species...on the table.

First of all, forget all the "Chicken Little" wackos who scream about all the fish in Utah Lake being polluted.  Annual tests on the fish species from Utah Lake show little to no problem with the mercury, arsenic and other toxins present in some of more "pristine" waters.  Because Utah Lake is shallow...and full of carp...it muddies up easily whenever the wind blows.  To some dimbulbs that equates to polluted.  True, there have been elevated levels of PCBs found in carp and LARGE catfish.  That's because they live longer than other species and can accumulate more stuff over a longer life.  But a catfish under about 24 inches from Utah Lake is as good as any to be found anywhere in the country.  I have eaten plenty out of the fryer and the smoker.  All good.

Willard Bay catfish are some of the best I have eaten...and I have caught and eaten catfish all over the USA.  And most of them are just right for filleting and cooking...or smoking.  Great stuff.

One of the keys to being able to enjoy catfish is proper prep.  It should be filleted and skinned.  In one of the accompanying PDF files (SMOKED KITTY PREP) I detail how to trim the fillets...removing red flesh and the yellow oily strips on some cats.  While I originally made this with smoking in mind, it is also how I trim and size the fillets for frying too.

Catfish are a heavier fleshed fish that require longer cooking time to get them thoroughly done.  And if they are served underdone, you will not be happy with the softer flesh with more of the "catfish" flavor.  Leaving them simmering in the hot oil an extra minute or two helps remove more moisture, firms them up and definitely improves the overall flavor.  So it is better to use a dry coating on your fried fillets rather than a thick wet batter.  The batter will be done before the catfish inside is done and you won't like it as well.  See the recipe on KITTIE KRISPIES.

When I talk about smoking, in that PDF file, I admit to preferring my old school Little Chief smoker.  But there are some great new smokers on the market that can control the feeding of the pellets or wood, the temperatures and humidity to make turning out good smoked stuff a lot easier and more controlled.

Feel free to throw rocks at me or ask questions.  Would also appreciate any recipes or input anybody else has to share.  That' what this is all about.

For years I wouldnt keep catfish because of the mushy texture. A few years ago Pat told me about cooking longer. Catfish are one of the tastiest fish around if prepared and cooked properly.  Thanks again Tube Dude!!!!

[TubeDude]

Thanks for sharing. I especially want to try out the fish wings.

One of the cool things about catfish is that because they are so firm and tasty...when properly cooked...you can dip them in any kind of sauce without destroying their flavor or texture.  The wing sauce was a natural for me.  I love hot wings.  And there are a bajillion different wing sauce recipes on line.

Also...catfish are great dipped in barbecue sauce, seafood cocktail sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc....both fresh out of the fryer and after chilling overnight in the refrigerator.  Just like eating cold fried chicken.  Maybe better.  And for that I sometimes like a little tartar sauce.  Or...you can put the cold (or hot) fried catfish on a good roll...with lettuce, cheese and tartar sauce for a kitty "po boy".

I always cook up more fried catfish than we will eat at one meal...just so we can have leftover cold kitty.  One of our fave "second meals" is catfish/cheese/cracker canapes.  I cut the cooked cat into small pieces...and some cheese in similar size pieces.  Then I put a small piece of each on a Ritz Cracker or Triscuit...or your cracker of choice...and serve with an appropriate libation.

[Anglinarcher]

Great information.  One thing I do different is a little trick I and my wife learned from the Food Network channel.  

Background, my wife would not eat a catfish to save her life, but because they were ugly, not due to taste (never had one).  

I convinced her to  allow me to soak the fish in milk, for about 15 minutes.  No blood line trim, nothing extra except to fillet and skin the fish.  Mix 1/2 flour and 1/2 corn meal, salt and pepper to taste, roll in this mixture, shallow fry on medium low heat until the flesh is opaque (not translucent).

Now she will not allow me to run out of catfish in the freezer.  She can't get enough of them.

[FatBiker]

Thanks TD. Personally, I'll eat a Willard catfish over a walleye any day and they're a whole bunch funner to catch. Here's a recipe I used tonight on a couple caught a few days ago.

https://thisoldgal.com/air-fryer-souther...d-catfish/

[Saltslam]

Great information. Now I just need to catch some of those whisker wearing buggers.

[Gone Forever]

I remember, years ago now, a BFT get together at Lincoln Beach where you cooked up a bunch of cats for the gang. Some of the best tasting fish I have ever eaten. Shared with some of the best people I have ever met.

[TubeDude]

I remember, years ago now, a BFT get together at Lincoln Beach where you cooked up a bunch of cats for the gang.  Some of the best tasting fish I have ever eaten.  Shared with some of the best people I have ever met.

Yeah, that was a fun get-together.  Here's some pics from the past.








upload pic

[Gone Forever]

I remember, years ago now, a BFT get together at Lincoln Beach where you cooked up a bunch of cats for the gang.  Some of the best tasting fish I have ever eaten.  Shared with some of the best people I have ever met.

Yeah, that was a fun get-together.  Here's some pics from the past.








upload pic

Nice.  I didn't see me, but I see my truck. I was probably off running the "trash tourney" for the kids.  There were prizes for most garbage collected, biggest piece of garbage, grossest garbage...everyone got a prize.

[Mildog]

Great stuff catfish are yummy! Like angling archer mentioned I soak most everything I fry in milk and I usually put a splash of soy sauce in it. I do it when making Duck and goose nuggets as well before breading. I have many people that tell me they DON’T eat duck or goose gobble them up!! Milk and the little bit of salt from the soy sauce helps move it into the flesh (Osmosis or something like that.) It really helps with the flavor and for the breading to stick. Another tip, let fillets sit for a few minutes after breading before frying instead of straight into the hot oil. It sticks better and you will have less fall off in the oil which can build up and burn in the bottom of the pot.
A quick recipe to try for catfish I learned from a great Louisiana gentleman that I used to catfish with, ly he has since passed.
Dip fillets in yellow mustard thinned with a little bit of milk so it is not as thick as right out of the bottle, just a thin coating is perfect.
Then coat with mixture of corneal and a bit of flour with some seasonings, thought of salt pepper garlic lemon pepper etc. Then fry in hot oil. It is fantastic, don’t be scared of by the mustard it is very subtle in the finished product. Have had many fish frys with different recipes and often the mustard fillets are gone first!!
Lastly Blackened catfish is fantastic!! You can find many recipes for blackened fish online, try it with catfish! It really is good, like Pat said make sure to cook enough to firm up the flesh !!
Yummy, I think I’m having catfish for lunch or dinner!!
All this food talk is making me hungry!!

[Cowboypirate]

I got a couple fresh ones that are gona get Pat-a-fided this weekend

[SkunkedAgain]

There's no doubt Pat knows his way around catfish recipes, I didn't like catfish until Pat taught me how to do it... Well I think he gave me a piece of his smoked kitty first then I had to have his recipe.... Good thing about Pat's recipe is it turns out even I can make it work so it tastes good... So being an ace chef isn't necessary to get good results... Thanks Pat... Later J

[TubeDude]

There's no doubt Pat knows his way around catfish recipes, I didn't like catfish until Pat taught me how to do it... Well I think he gave me a piece of his smoked kitty first then I had to have his recipe....  Good thing about Pat's recipe is it turns out even I can make it work so it tastes good... So being an ace chef isn't necessary to get good results... Thanks Pat... Later J

You are good student...Glasshoppah.  (Apologies to the old Kung Fu series)

It helps to have a basic knowledge of kitchen stuff, but as long as you observe the basic principles it should turn out good enough to eat.  After that you just work to refine your techniques until you can produce the fishy products you like best. 

Ain't no absolutes and no guarantees.  Lots of flexibility.  Just be sure to cook it thoroughly and it should be good.

[fast_randy]

I love my catfish. Until the last few years I always fished until I had a limit and then quit. Catch and eat only. And I loved putting big catfish fries on. I can't count the times I had someone say "they don't like catfish" then they try mine with my cocktail sauce, and tell me (it's the best fish they ever had."  For many years I used Corn Flake crumbs, but now just Zatarain's Fish Fry. It's a fine corn meal and lightly flavored.
I had always herd you couldn't smoke catfish because they were too oily. But last year I took Pat's recommendation and smoked a batch. Oh my gosh, you have got to try it. I usually leave the bones in my trout and skin on when I smoke them. But it was great not having to worry about the bones when you eat it. Thanks Pat.

---

When I first started catching and eating my catfish I tried some with the gray blood line cut out, some without it cut out. I was at work at Hill AFB and had other Boiler Operators to do a taste comparison. Nobody could tell the difference between the two. So I have never bothered to cut it out since. And I would never waste my milk by soaking my catfish in it. I just take the whole fillet and cut it diagonally in 1 inch fish sticks. Then drop the damp fish sticks into a baggie with Zatarain's Fish Fry and shake. Then into the deep fryer with peanut oil. The main thing is to cook them enough, and a little longer.
And I highly recommend cocktail sauce. I make my own:  catchup and lots of horseradish with some lemon and a good dash of Worchester.

[fishgiver]

It's that time of year again.  The water is warming and the fish are getting more active.  That includes catfish.  So I start getting requests for copies of some of the catfish recipes I have shared over the years.  Figured I would post several of them together for anyone who wants to take advantage of this underrated and underappreciated fish species...on the table.

First of all, forget all the "Chicken Little" wackos who scream about all the fish in Utah Lake being polluted.  Annual tests on the fish species from Utah Lake show little to no problem with the mercury, arsenic and other toxins present in some of more "pristine" waters.  Because Utah Lake is shallow...and full of carp...it muddies up easily whenever the wind blows.  To some dimbulbs that equates to polluted.  True, there have been elevated levels of PCBs found in carp and LARGE catfish.  That's because they live longer than other species and can accumulate more stuff over a longer life.  But a catfish under about 24 inches from Utah Lake is as good as any to be found anywhere in the country.  I have eaten plenty out of the fryer and the smoker.  All good.

Willard Bay catfish are some of the best I have eaten...and I have caught and eaten catfish all over the USA.  And most of them are just right for filleting and cooking...or smoking.  Great stuff.

One of the keys to being able to enjoy catfish is proper prep.  It should be filleted and skinned.  In one of the accompanying PDF files (SMOKED KITTY PREP) I detail how to trim the fillets...removing red flesh and the yellow oily strips on some cats.  While I originally made this with smoking in mind, it is also how I trim and size the fillets for frying too.

Catfish are a heavier fleshed fish that require longer cooking time to get them thoroughly done.  And if they are served underdone, you will not be happy with the softer flesh with more of the "catfish" flavor.  Leaving them simmering in the hot oil an extra minute or two helps remove more moisture, firms them up and definitely improves the overall flavor.  So it is better to use a dry coating on your fried fillets rather than a thick wet batter.  The batter will be done before the catfish inside is done and you won't like it as well.  See the recipe on KITTIE KRISPIES.

When I talk about smoking, in that PDF file, I admit to preferring my old school Little Chief smoker.  But there are some great new smokers on the market that can control the feeding of the pellets or wood, the temperatures and humidity to make turning out good smoked stuff a lot easier and more controlled.

Feel free to throw rocks at me or ask questions.  Would also appreciate any recipes or input anybody else has to share.  That' what this is all about.