Catfish recipes

[Stubbs65]

I have never really liked the taste of fish, so I have always been a catch and release guy. This summer, I put myself on a high-protein diet, and I figure that keeping some of the catfish that I catch would be a really cheap protein source. Does anyone have any good recipes for catfish? I know fried catfish is popular, but I was wondering if anyone had any semi-healthy recipes?
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[Vivid-Dawn]

[font "Courier New"][#000080][size 3]Since I can't fillet catfish to save my life (I do just fine taking the meat from the body, but taking the skin off I always do it WAY uneven and either have a paper thin fillet, or leave some skin on) this is how I've made the last couple.

Gut it, chop the head and end of tail off, and pry off the skin with pliers. Put it in a pot with enough water to cover the fish and boil until it's thoroughly cooked.
With a fork, I just pull the meat from the bones and dip it in whatever sauce (I like Buttermilk Ranch or tartar sauce).

As it's boiled, and there's no spices when cooking, this recipe is actually rather bland. The dipping sauce is about the only addition of flavor. I'm weird, as I like my meat "pure". My ex-husband would marinate stuff until you could only taste the sauce and not the meat, so maybe that's where I got it from. If you do like relatively bland food, here's the best recipe

Alternatively, if you want to save the heads for some spicey (and very time-consuming) stew... [url "http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/53237/carps-three-catfish-head-hot-sour-soup"]http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/53237/carps-three-catfish-head-hot-sour-soup[/url]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Hopefully you know how to fillet catfish. If not, there is a tutorial attached. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Catfish are easy to fillet. Simple bony structure without a lot of little bones to worry about. But the rib bones in larger fish take some serious effort. I prefer an electric fillet knife. Makes the job much easier and you get cleaner fillets too.[/#0000ff]

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=142538;#142538"][#0000ff]FILLETING CATFISH[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Smaller cats, like the "cookie cutters" from both Willard and Utah Lake are the ideal size for inviting home to dinner. The fillets are just the right thickness for frying, baking or grilling. Bigger cats are good eating but you should cross cut the fillets into "kitty fingers". That helps them to cook better. Catfish flesh is much firmer and requires more cooking than the "white meat" fish species...or trout. It is tough to overcook catfish but if it is undercooked it will be softer and less tasty. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is the line of dark tissue along the outside of the fillets that is best removed. It has a strong taste and is also heavier in oil. Removing it helps all around. I also sometimes cut off and discard the bottom 2 or 3 inches of the fillet because the ratio of dark flesh to edible flesh is high. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Almost any good frying recipe will work. But avoid heavy batters. The batter will be burned before the fish is fully cooked. Better to shake the water wet fillets in a mixture of flour and cornmeal...with spices...and then fry without battering. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Catfish are great on the grill. [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=579140;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]HERE IS A LINK[/url] to a post I put up on that a while back. You can marinate the fillets in your favorite marinade or just baste them with lemon butter and spices. Be sure to turn the heat down a bit and rotate the fish basket frequently to get them evenly done without burning.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have a good "blackened fish" recipe, catfish are great cooked this way. Again, use thin fillets from smaller catfish for the best results.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I also like to cook small fillets "scampi style"...in garlic butter with maybe a little sherry for extra flavor. When they are well cooked, serve them over rice or noodles and pour the pan drippings over them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You can also bake catfish fillets. Sprinkle them with garlic salt, seasoned pepper, lemon juice and sesame seeds. Dot them liberally with butter and bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes...until they are flaky done. Serve with your choice of sauces or dips.[/#0000ff]
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[eyechaser]

when i fillet cat fish i always pre cut and rip the skin off with pliers then finish filleting
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[Vivid-Dawn]

[font "Courier New"][#000080][size 3]Oohhh, maybe I should try that!

I have a trip planned for UL on Wednesday... hopefully I'll get some practicin' supplies

(I use an electric fillet knife... too wimpy to use a regular one - I've tried, and that was even harder!)[/size][/#000080][/font]
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[TheCarDoctor]

I just tried TubeDude's Kitty Krispies with today's catch. Really good! I'll have to call it something different though. My wife says Kitty Krispies sounds like kind of cat food. [crazy]
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[Roghet]

TD's Kittie Fry recipe is really good. Though deep fat frying isn't the most healthy, I also looked for other options. []

If by any chance you have a George Foreman grill, my wife brought one home and it's one of the most handy devices in the kitchen. I just put some butter on the cat fillet, and sprinkle it with "Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning" and 7 minutes later it's done. Besides the speed and ease, these grills are designed so that the fat drips off the fillet while cooking.

Plus, that creole seasoning goes good on MANY things. Highly recommended.
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[Smokerdog]

I found a really good recipe for grilling catfish, as a matter of fact going to grill some up on the 4th. Try it, different but good.
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[FishHunterSmoot]

those kitty krispies look fantastic. I need to try that. Next time I will give it a go
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[WaveWolf]

[#500000]How thick are the filets that you put on the foreman grill?[/#500000]
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[Roghet]

[quote WaveWolf][#500000]How thick are the filets that you put on the foreman grill?[/#500000][/quote]

As thick as the whole cat fillets are. []

I don't intend to sound like a salesman, but you can put whole frozen chicken breasts on these G.F. grills and they are still done in just a few minutes. Trout also work very well.

I've never tried something as thin as delicate of a texture as say, a panfish like a white bass, but I can't imagine why it wouldn't work. It would just take less grill time and adequate butter (or spray) so the fish doesn't stick to it. Even so, I have WAY less problems with sticking than I do just pan frying.

Sometimes when cooking fish, I like the moisture of (butter and lemon juice is my preference) baking or frying. But with a fish that is a little more oily like cats, (unless I'm going to deep fat fry and have the EKG paddles handy []) for me grilling is the way to go because it drips right off.
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[REPETER]

We've been dieting and eating a lot of catfish lately too. Personally I filllet the meat, then rinse and pat dry. In a frying pan I have Olive or Canola oil on a medium high heat. In a bowl I have flower with a liberal amount of Tony Chachere Creole seasoning (soooo good!) Lightly bread the fillets in flower + seasoning and fry'em up. Guaranteed you'll be eating more fish
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