CatfishED.com

If anyone has a favorite Catfish recipe that they would like to share, please contact me  and We will post them on this page with full credit to the author.

Catfish Ed's Basic Catfish Recipe

Cleaning and preparing the fish.

There are many ways to prepare the fish for cooking, but my favorite is to fillet them. Many people will tell you that Channel Catfish taste muddy, musty or like algae, especially in warm water lakes in the summer time. I have found this to be untrue if you fillet them properly. The key is to remove the belly section and the dark red meat (coagulated blood)from the fillets. This makes for a little waste but the remaining fillets rival the best commercially raised catfish.

Now we're ready to cook!

Ingredients:

Channel Cat Fillets

Seasoned Salt ( Lawrys etc. )

Seasoned Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

White Flour

White Cornmeal

Peanut or vegetable oil

Slice the fillets into 2 to 4 inch pieces or whatever your preference but not too thick or they will take forever to cook. This is particularly true with larger fish. Apply the seasonings generously and refrigerate in a plastic bag or covered container for at least two hours. Put equal amounts of white flour and cornmeal in a plastic bag and shake until thoroughly mixed. Put a few pieces at a time in the bag and shake until all pieces are thoroughly coated. In a deep fryer or wok pot heat the cooking oil to the proper temperature, when a drop of water splatters upon contact, the oil is ready to go. Place a few pieces of fish at a time in the fryer and remove when they are golden brown. Put them on paper towels to drain off excessive oil and serve them with whatever you like.

Enjoy!!.......Catfish Ed.

My friend Greg sent me this recipe.

You can visit his website here

. * Exported from MasterCook *

Catfish with Ginger and Sour Cream

Recipe By.....: Paul Rumball-Petre

Serving Size..: 2....Preparation Time :0:30

Categories....: Cajun.........................Main Course

......................Seafood

Amount Measure.....Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2......tablespoons sweet butter

2......tablespoons virgin olive oil

2......tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

2......tablespoons minced cilantro

2......tablespoons minced onions

2......teaspoons capers, and

2......teaspoons caper vinegar -- reserved

14.....ounces catfish fillets (two 7- ounce fillets)

1/4 cup..........white wine

4......tablespoons sour cream

........Salt

........Pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the butter and oil in an iron skillet and heat until the butter is melted. Sauté the onion, ginger, cilantro, and capers for 2 minutes over medium heat. Lay fillets on top (skin side up) and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook for 1 1/2 minutes more. Deglacé with the white wine (preferably an Alsacian Gewurztraminer.)

Place entire pan into a preheated 350° degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes. When cooked, place fillets on plates. Return pan to high heat and add the sour cream. Stir and cook for a minute until the liquid is reduced and thickened; add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over fillets and serve.

The caper vinegar is reserved from the pickled caper jar and is mixed in at the time of the sour cream and white wine.

NOTES : "Cajun-Asian" catfish fillets served in a fresh ginger, wine, caper, sour cream reduction.

A quick recipe which has a piquant flavor. This catfish recipe is a wonderful combination of Cajun and Pacific flavors.

Atis likes this served with sautéed potatoes. Nutr. Assoc. : 222 0 26086 0 0 2478 5458 2507 0 0 0 0

We didn't find it necessary or beneficial to put the recipe in the oven. Just cook it on top of the stove a little longer.

I received a recipe from Kathy Van Roekel that sounds tasty:

1 cup pancake flour

1/2 cup beer ( or to your choice of consistency )

2 tsp. sugar

1tsp. salt

1/4tsp soda

1/2 tsp. baking power

1/4 tsp onion salt

dash of pepper ( optional )

Dredge catfish filets cut in small pieces and deep fat fry at 375 degrees until golden brown.

This is Betty Van Wyk's recipe. She is from Pella, IA.

Kathy asked me for an outdoor grill recipe for catfish and this is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

Catfish Fillets

Seasoned Salt

Seasoned Pepper

Garlic Powder

White or yellow onions

Sweet bell peppers

Margarine

Cut the fillets into two or three inch cubes or chunks Add the seasonings to the fillets. Chop the onions and peppers into small chunks. Mix the onions, peppers and fillets together. Take a large sheet of aluminum foil and place the fillets, onions and peppers in the center. Add a tablespoon or so of margarine and seal the foil. Put on the BBQ and cook until you experience the great aroma. Open foil and check to make sure the fish is thoroughly cooked. Get your favorite beverage, sit down and enjoy!

About Hush Puppies

Source: Diana Rattray about.com

The legend surrounding the hush puppy takes us back to Civil War days. Southerners would sit beside a campfire, preparing their meals. If Yankee soldiers came near, they would toss their yapping dogs some of the fried cakes with the command "Hush, puppies."

Hush Puppies by Judith Purdy

Note: This really isn't a catfish recipe but hush puppies are a
great sidedish to serve with fried catfish.

Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 egg

Sift together dry ingredients, add onion,
add 1 cup flour, add butter and egg last.

Drop by tablespoons into deep fat preheated to 370 degrees.
Cook till golden brown.

Drain and serve.

Willie sent this simple but tasty sounding recipe on May 14, 2001

Catfish fillets, Seasoning measurements are based on 8 fillet servings, add or reduce depending on serving sizes.

3/4 tsp. lemon-pepper

3/4 tsp. garlic-pepper

1/4 tsp. cayene-pepper

salt

black pepper

1 egg for every 2 fillets

1. Add all the seasonings into a mixing bowl with the eggs.

2.Then put your fish in the egg-seasoning mix and let set in the fridge for 5 hrs.

3. Take the fillets out of the egg and into some flour seasoned with salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle some more lemon pepper on top of the flour covered fillets.

5. Put them in a deep-fryer for about 7-10 min depending on size.

6. After they are done put them on some paper towels to let grease drain off.

7. Then enjoy with your favorite side dish.

Here is a nice recipe sent in by Miss Casey Stewart of Stockton California.

Pan Cats With Beer

2 lbs catfish fillets, 3 to 5 ounces each, 1/2" thick

1 Cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

Remove any skin or membrane from fillets and combine with milk and salt in a gallon sized zip lock bag. Refrigerate 2 hours, turning occasionally.

1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt

1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 Cup cracker meal

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Drain the fillets and toss with seasoned cracker meal in another zip lock bag, a few at a time, until well coated.

Fry breaded fillets in a heavy frying pan with a few tablespoons of peanut oil that has been allowed to heat over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Takes about 3 minutes per side, until golden.

At this point I make up a batch of hush puppies in the left-over oil. Half pancake mix and half yellow cornmeal makes a good mix, with a few tablespoons of sugar, and just enough buttermilk to bind. Form them into 1" balls and fry, turning carefully till golden brown then drain along with your catfish.

Wipe out the frying pan and arrange your catfish in one layer. If desired slice several button mushrooms over fish, and add 1 cup of warm beer. With your heat on low, cover the pan and cook an additional 5 minutes. If you want some gravy, remove the catfish and mushrooms, and add 1/4 to 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes. That may sound weird but it makes a darned tasty gravy!

Sincerely Yours,

(Miss) Casey Stewart

Check out some of Casey's articles at Epinions.com, click here for her very informative article about catfish.

CAJUN BAKED CATFISH

Yield - 4 Servings

Ingredients -

2 lb. Catfish Fillets, Cut into 8 oz. portions

1 oz. Cajun Seasonings

2 oz. Butter, Cut into small pieces

2 pc. Garlic Cloves, Chopped

1/2 t. Dill Weed

4 oz. White Wine

2 lg. Lemons

Method -

Cut the catfish into even fillets and place in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with Cajun Seasonings, cut the lemons into wedges and squeeze half of them over the fillets.

Add all remaining ingredients to pan, place in 400 degree F. oven and bake 15 minutes or until flaky. Cook the fish until it is flakey about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, cornbread, greens and potato salad!

Serve with lemon wedges, drizzle juice over fillets.

Chef's Note: This recipe works great on most freshwater fish. It can be started under the broiler and then finished in the oven.

Recipe courtesy of: www.chefdepot.net
Trish's Catfish

After my husband was restricted on a low fat diet for his blood pressure, I've had to come up with a healthier way to make catfish than frying. This is low fat, (and no carb) but very delicious. Everybody rants and raves about this fish!

It's moist, tender and so very flavorful! It's different from anything else I've seen out there, but most importantly, it brings out the absolute best in catfish and really highlights that special flavor that sets it above all other fish! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Catfish fillets

Olive oil

Goya brand Adobo (a mixture of black ppr, garlic, oregano and salt)

There are many "adobo" mixtures out there, but Goya's is by far the best, so if you can get it in the hispanic section of your market, or at a Puerto Rican or Mexican market, it does make a difference.

Note: I also tried mixing the individual spices myself and it was horrible! Not even close! If you try that, you'll end up saying "yuck-what a stupid recipe"...I guarentee it!

Simply rub olive oil onto the fillets so they won't dry out on the grill and to give the spices something to stick to. Then sprinkle Adobo on them and then either grill (suggested) or you can also bake in the oven. The time depends on the thickness of the fillets. The oven takes about 20 minutes total, covered in a 350 oven. You can also use this method with other meats, such as beef and pork steaks, and chicken fillets.

Gary Schuster from somewhere in the south emailed this recipe to me:
Catfish Stew
5 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 1" chunks
10 pounds potatoes (baking potatoes have best flavor), peeled and diced into 1" cubes
3 pounds yellow onions, chopped
1 pound fatback or Hog Jowls, sliced
2 family sized cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Season with a little salt, black pepper, Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes and a touch of garlic

In a large heavy pot (4-5 gallon) fry out the meat until all fat is rendered from the meat. Remove meat and set aside on paper towels. This is good to snack on while cooking the stew.

Add chopped onions to grease in pot, stirring until onions soften.

Add diced potatoes to pot and cover with enough water to allow freedom to boil. Bring to a boil and monitor potatoes until they just start to stick tender.

At this point add the catfish chunks, canned soup and seasonings.

When fish flakes easily stew is done.

Serve with your favorite beverage, crackers, hushpuppies, garlic toast and hot sauce.
This feeds about 15 people so modify if you dare!

Classic Baked Catfish by Carla

Skinned catfish fillets

Olive Oil

Mayonnaise (can use "light" mayo)

Salt

Pepper, freshly ground

Garlic Powder

Dried Parsley

Italian bread crumbs

Paprika

Lightly grease a shallow, glass (Pyrex) casserole with olive oil and arrange fillets in the dish. Lightly spread the fillets with mayonnaise. Sprinkle salt, pepper,
garlic powder, and dried parsley over fillets. Using a spoon, distribute a light coating of Italian bread crumbs evenly over fillets. Top with a good sprinkling of
paprika for color. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Delicate and scrumptious.......enjoy!

Carla

Classic Baked Catfish
by Donnie Haywood of
Hammond Louisiana

Ingredients:

Skinned catfish fillets
Squeeze Butter
Lemon juice
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne pepper
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
Onion powder
Dried Parsley
Italian bread crumbs
Paprika

Instructions:

Wash and dry catfish fillets.
Preheat oven to 375 deg.
Grease a glass (Pyrex) 13x8x2 inch baking dish with butter. (A lot, so that you end up with it being ¼ inch thick after it melts)
Put dish into oven until the butter melts. Then remove form oven.
Arrange fillets in the dish then flip over so that both sides are covered heavy in butter. (Make sure that the skin sides of the fillets are facing down when finished)
Sprinkle salt, black pepper, Tony's, onion powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley over fillets.
Drizzle with plenty of lemon juice.
Distribute a light coating of Italian bread crumbs evenly over fillets.
Top with a good sprinkling of paprika for color.
Put into oven at 375 deg. and bake for 20 minutes or until fish is done.

If browning is desired, place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.

Chuck Pound from Southwest Wisconsin sent me this recipe for Blackened Catfish:

2-4 boneless, skinless fillets per person, smaller fillets are better than large ones.
Peanut or your favorite frying oil.
Your favorite Cajun seasoning or blackening seasoning - watch out for the ones that are mostly salt as you will wonder why someone thinks this stuff is good if you use it. (I make my own using lots of paprika and adding some black/white pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, garlic powder, thyme, and a little bit of salt)
Heat a cast iron pan over high heat 10 minutes or more, you want it very hot!
Do not add oil to the pan at any time.
Coat fish with just enough oil to cover and make the spices stick.
Sprinkle both sides with seasoning - amount depends on your taste, I use quite a lot.
Fry 2-3 minutes per side 'till done.
Enjoy! Great with rice or potatoes and a green salad.

Note, cooking fish like this makes a lot of smoke! You need a very good range hood or do it outdoors. A barbecue works great for an outdoor heat source.

Seriously, Chuck Pound