I was in Whole Foods the other day. I saw Wild Caught Catfish. I swear! I thought catfish is only farm raised…. I mean, the kind you find in the store.
-
-
Oh lord no! There’s a lot of wild caught catfish out there. Most of us old fishermen catch our own. There is nothing I can find that’s magic about wild caught catfish like there is about wild caught salmon. The farm raised is very good. Even Justin Wilson on his old cooking show praised farm raised catfish. I would stick with the raised in the USA stuff, there’s some fish coming in from Vietnam that some restaurants are trying to sell as catfish. If you ever decide to do a true southern fried catfish meal I’ll share my home made tartar sauce and hush puppies recipes. They are both incredible.-
Agree. There are a lot of rivers around that I would never eat fish caught from, and that's where a lot of big ones that end up in pay lakes come from. Much better quality control at the fish farms. -
Panhead John I’ll be glad to. It will be this evening before I get the time. I have yard work to get done this morning then I’m putting two racks of St Louis ribs on the smoker at noon. We’re supposed to be 107 F today. Imagine how much charcoal that will save me!
-
-
I agree and I don't understand about catching wild catfish/catfish in the wild in enough repeatable volume for retail sale in a national chain store. Farm raised-yes. Maybe the term" Wild" refers to the fisherman and not the fish.
Comment
-
SheilaAnn and Panhead John Ok folks here are the recipes I promised. We’ll start with the simplest first. This hush puppy recipe was give to me by a friends grandmother in the late 1970’s. She was a sweet little woman who had been the wife of a baptist preacher since the 1930’s in rural Arkansas.
Hush puppies.
Ingredients:
I cup yellow corn meal
1/4 cup AP flower
1 heaping tbl spoon sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 green onions sliced very fine
1 egg
enough milk to make the mixture stick to a spoon
Enough red pepper to dust the top of the mixture
Prep Method
This is pretty straightforward
mix all the ingredients with a large spoon. Add the milk until the mixture will stick to the spoon nicely.
Dust the top with red pepper and stir just enough to incorporate the red pepper.
These can be dipped out with a small ice cream scoop into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place them on parchment paper on
a cookie sheet and freeze them then transfer to a zip lock bag to be stored in the freezer until needed.
When your ready deep fry them at 350 F until golden brown. They will plump up some while frying.
There are so many things you can add to change the flavor a bit, but try them like this before you change anything.
Tartar sauce
Of all the recipes I have this is one of the very best. Stay with me this will take a minute to read with my rambling less than professional recipe writing.
This is best when made with home made mayonnaise. You can skip this step if you prefer to use a good store bought brand of mayonnaise .
Mayonnaise
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
dash of tabasco sauce
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp each salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tbl spoon lemon juice or vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
Prep method
Place the yolks in a double boiler over water at a low simmer
Whisk constantly , as the yolks begin to thicken add the Tabasco, mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
continue to whisk for 20 to 30 seconds until the mixture is thick, glossy and has reached 130 F.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the vegetable oil in a slow steady stream.
If the mixture is too thick it can be thinned with lemon juice, vinegar, or hot water.
Tartar sauce ingredients
1 1/2 cup homemade mayo or mayo of your choice
1 medium dill pickle diced
2 shallots peeled and minced or 2 tbl spoons chopped scallions
1 tbl spoon chopped capers
1 tbl spoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tbl spoon chopped fresh chives
1 tbl spoon Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Prep is simple
whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate.
This needs at least over night to let the flavor develop.
It will keep about a week in the fridge.
I was given this recipe in the mid 80’s and have used it for years.
I’ve never given this recipe to anyone who didn’t say it was the best they’ve ever had.
I have shared it with texastweeter, If i remember right he liked it.
Apologies for the style, but the end product will amaze you.
Last edited by Oak Smoke; August 2, 2024, 07:48 PM.Comment
-
I have a buddy, Luis, who fishes for catfish just over the state line in GA. I mean huge catfish - 30-60 pounds. He brings me filets, and I'm telling you right now, there's no way you could tell the difference between those catfish and a grouper when you eat it.Comment
-
Oak Smoke you aren't kidding. But these catfish are usually caught from the bank, and they will eat ANYTHING. My pal is always trying to get me to come along, but spends the entire night on the bank getting eaten alive by mosquitos, so I am content to have him bring me my free portions, lol.
-
I did not know there was farm raised catfish? Shoulda figgered, the notion is just furin to me. Some things I hope I never catch up on.Comment
-
Comment
-
Have you seen people noodling for catfish ?
Comment
-
Bill the location of some of the better holes in the bank had been passed down from my grandfather to my dad. Several of them were so large that dad went in feet first. When the fish would try to swim out he would wrap his legs around it and grab its jaw. My job was dragging him and the fish out onto the bank. The other brilliant move he used was sticking his arm in a hole and waving his hand. The fish would sometimes be large enough to swallow his arm up to the elbow. I could go on for an hour. -
I've done it a few times. If I had a place I knew, I'd do it again. Man, catfish dipped in buttermilk, rolled in seasoned cornmeal and fried is soo good. We are saving up for a family fish fry soon.
-
-
Some (commercially available) wild caught catfish are great. Some taste like mud. :-/
Personally, I wouldn’t purchase a bunch before I tried a smaller sample.Comment
Comment