Catfish Recipes: Plain & Fancy

Catfish recipes and a black iron skillet have long
been associated with the south. But the fact is,
catfish is popular almost everywhere. In fact, consumption
of catfish has actually been growing, both because of
their popularity with fishermen, and the widespread
availability of farm-raised catfish.

Catfish cooking isn’t usually thought of as high art. Although, based on the amount eaten, catfish are the most popular fish in America, most of the time catfish recipes are quite simple. The fish is prepped by filleting. The filets are dipped in buttermilk, rolled in cornmeal, and fried.

Nothing wrong with that. Indeed, catfish, hushpuppies, and fried potatoes have starred in more than one campground fish fry. And will again. But catfish recipes are no longer confined to frying techniques. Two reasons for that. First is availability of the fish. Catfish are common to most turbid waters, and are easy to catch. Anglers have looked for other ways to cook their catch. What’s more, thanks to the widespread marketing of farm-raised catfish, and its promotion by celebrity chefs like Cat Cora, catfish is being used in an every growing number of ways.

There’s a myth, by the way, that larger catfish taste muddy, so you should only eat the smaller ones. The fact is, a catfish’s flavor is strictly a function of what it’s been eating, and big ones, taken from the same waters, taste just as good as those small fiddlers. I first learned that lesson when I was being taught a specialized fishing technique on the Ohio River, and almost released a 27 pounder. “Are you crazy,” my host said. “Wait until you taste the sweet, white-fleshed fish from that beauty.” Sure enough, he was right.

One nice thing about catfish: even when you go beyond simple frying, most catfish recipes can be done in camp as easily as at home. The most sophisticated catfish dishes require little prep time, and almost all of them cook quickly.

I’d be remiss not to include a recipe for fried catfish. Rather than filets, however, this one uses whole catfish, beheaded and skinned:

Plantation Catfish

6 1-pound catfish, prepped
12 slices thick-cut bacon
1 cup flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ cup evaporated milk
1 tbls salt
½ tsp pepper
2 lemons cut in wedges

Fry the bacon in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet until brown and crispy. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, mix the milk, salt and pepper. In a second bowl mix the flour, cornmeal, and paprika. Dip the fish in the milk mixture, shaking off any excess. Roll in the flour mixture to coat evenly.

Fry the catfish in the bacon drippings about four minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the bacon and lemon wedges for garnish.

When it comes to seafood gumbo, it’s usually shellfish that people have in mind. But finned fish can work just as well. The versatilty of catfish recipes is shown in this

Catfish Gumbo

1 lb skinned catfish filets or chunks
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup cooking oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (15 oz) tomatoes
1 10-oz package frozen okra, sliced
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
A squirt or two of hot pepper sauce, to taste

Sauté the onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in hot oil until tender. Add the stock, tomatoes, okra and seasonings. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the fish. Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the bay leaf.

To serve: Ladle gumbo into deep soup bowls. Drop a scoop of cooked rice in the center. Pass the hot sauce for those who want more.

If you say “stew,” most people think of a hearty, winter-time dish. If, on the other hand, you say “one-pot meal,” they have no biases, and happily eat the same dish in the summer. Catfish recipes take all forms, like this

Southern Style Catfish Stew

2 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can (28 oz) tomatoes
2 large potatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
2 tbls Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup catsup
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 ¼ lb catfish filets, skinned and cut in bite-sized pieces

Fry the bacon in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, until crisp. Drain on paper towels, crumble, and return to pan along with the chopped onions. Cook until the onions are lightly colored, then add the water, tomatoes, potatoes, salt, catsup, and thyme. Simmer for half an hour, covered. Add the fish and simmer 15 minutes more, uncovered.

Serve with crusty bread to sop up the juices.

There’s an unfortunate perception that fried foods are automatically unhealthy. Although incorrect, many people have cut down their consumption of fried foods in favor of other cooking methods that still provide the crunch of fried. Of all the catfish recipes to choose from one that fits that bill is for these

Corn Crispy Catfish Filets

¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbls Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbls water
1 tsp instant minced onion
2 ½ cups corn chips, coarsely crushed
1 lb catfish filets, skinned

Preheat oven to 450F.

Line a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with foil. Grease the foil or hit lightly with cooking spray. Put pan in oven to preheat.

In a shallow bowl combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan, water, and onion. Spread crushed corn chips in a second shallow bowl.

Dip filets in mayonnaise mixture to coat both sides, then dip in crushed corn chips to coat. Place the filets in the hot pan, about an inch apart. Bake 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve immediately.