How To Cook A Catfish.

[jdmidwest]

Been kinda lazy this summer. Taking short trips to local lakes in the new to me bass boat when I am home. Last couple of trips to Perry County Lake has produced an abundance of catfish. Easy fishing, sitting back in a shaded cove, sipping brews and listening to tunes. Nice and relaxing.

Normally I just toss them into the pond, but a few died on the way home and I decided to clean them out. I have skinned and filleted them out. Now I need a good way to cook them up.

I have fried and grilled them in the past, but they still taste like the muddy stagnant lakes they come out of. Last weekend, while fishing Pickwick Lake, we had dinner at Top of the River Catfish place. I had the fried crawdad tails and shrimp scampi, but I sampled their catfish also. It was excellent, white and firm, no fishy taste. I really think it was sauger or walleye, but they said catfish.

So, what are the recipes and marinades that work the best? What do I soak the filets in to get the muddy taste out?

[blue79]

Soak them in white vinegar and water for a while and then rinse.I use Harold Ensley fish fry coating mix from War Eagle Mill.You use it on all meats and vegetables.

[Feathers and Fins]

If you are getting mudcats the only way to go is soak them 24 hours in something. I like to use Italian dressing, salt , buttermilk or pomegranate juice.

[jdmidwest]

They are channel cats. Flesh is yellow and oily. Maybe the vinegar will cut the oil.

[blue79]

My cats always have a piece of dark yellow up by its head.I cut the red,the grey from the skin,and the darkest yellow from my fillets.Soak in white vinegar and water for a couple hours and rinse well.(Do not freeze after you soak in vinegar or they will have a funny taste).

[fishinwrench]

Y'all crack me up.

"How do I get the fishy taste out of these darn fish?"

It ain't gonna taste like hamburger no matter what you do

[Old plug]

JMIDWEST. ......What is the number of that carrier in the picture your using??? You serve on it ??? I served on one that was numbered 9. Tells you something about my age. There is so awful much room on the new ones. In my day there was not much room on those flight decks. Crawling under turning props and the belly of jets to guide them on a catapult was the way to go. Deck was short and landings were not always a success. When that happened things went everywhere. They use to loose do much hung ordnance it is a good thing that stuff had fuses that did not go off on contact. I had a 1000 lb'er stop bouncing along the deck not 15 ft in front if me one time.

[bfishn]

Off-flavor is a real big deal for catfish farmers, and lot's of research has been invested to lick it. Their policy is to sample the fish, if it eats well, it goes to market. If not, Sorry Charley.

https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/33/

There's just some fish from some places at some times that aren't fit to eat. Anything other than white can be trimmed, which can make a lot of difference. Yellow "shoulders" are fatty and should be trimmed as well. If the yellow is from a gland sac ruptured while cleaning, you can't fix that.

Acidic soaks have been reported to help, but they also dissolve tissue and get mushy.

Cooking's simple. Peanut oil at 380 degrees. Enough fire to keep it there when you drop fish. Some frozen fries to drop the temp if you get over 400. When it floats and the bubbles go from tiny to big it's done. Remove each piece when done, rather than waiting on one piece to dump the basket. Never lift it from the oil until it's done. Thicknesses from 3/4 to 1" cook best. Cut big fillets down if needed.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Buttermilk soak will take a lot of any strong fishy taste. I'm kind of like Wrench though, I don't want to kill it. I'm sure you know it's illegal to fry catfish in anything but a yellow corn/flour/s&p mixture or to eat it without hush puppies made from the same breading mixture and onions?

[Coosa]

We like to soak catfish in hot sauce for a couple hours then place in a strainer over night. Throw on some type of fish fry ( I like Andy's) and drop it on the fryer.