| For much of my early life I had a
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| | Most of the catfish that you buy at the
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| love-hate relationship with catfish.
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| | store will weigh between one and two
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| I would go fishing with my dad, who liked
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| | pounds. This is the weight range that
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| to cast a line from one of the many piers
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| | catfish farmers aim for in their effort
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| built out into the Gulf of Mexico from
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| | to promote product consistency.
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| the shores of Louisiana, Alabama and
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| | The following are some catfish recipes
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| Florida. His fellow anglers frequently
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| | you might wish to try:
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| reeled in catfish, which too often were
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| | Catfish in Beer Batter
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| left to expire on the planks of the pier,
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| | Ingredients
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| their stiff dorsal fin sticking almost
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| | 3 cups self-rising flour
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| straight into the air, ready to deliver a
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| | 2 cups beer, whichever brand you prefer
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| painful sting to any barefooted kid
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| | 1 clove garlic, minced
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| unfortunate enough to step on it. One
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| | 1 teaspoon salt
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| day, one of those unlucky barefoot kids
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| | 1 teaspoon black pepper
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| happened to be me.
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| | 6 catfish fillets
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| All I can remember from that misadventure
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| | Cooking oil Directions
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| is searing pain shooting through my foot
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| | 1. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, beer,
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| and up into my leg, and being taken to a
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| | garlic, salt and black pepper in a bowl.
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| hospital emergency room. Lesson: When
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| | 2. Dredge catfish fillets in the
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| handling catfish--dead, alive, or
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| | remaining flour, and then in the better
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| dying--be very careful. (I've since
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| | created in step 1.
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| learned that a catfish's stinging ability
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| | 3. Heat cooking oil in skillet. Fry
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| lies with a particular protein that it
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| | fillets in hot oil until golden.
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| can deliver via its fins. True biology
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| | 4. Drain fillets on absorbent paper
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| fact!)
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| | towels, and serve hot.
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| On the other hand, I have to say that
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| | Tip: Make tabasco or other hot sauce
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| eating a mess of fried catfish on a big
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| | available for your guests to put on the
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| screened porch on a soft southern night
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| | catfish, if they wish. Also, have plenty
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| is an experience I'm dearly miss, and one
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| | of cold beer on hand to drink!
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| that I wish I could share with my own
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| | Baked/Broiled Catfish
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| children.
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| | Ingredients
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| The South is the epicenter of catfish
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| | 4 whole large catfish
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| culture in the United States. Most
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| | 1/2 cup tomato sauce
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| catfish consumption takes place in this
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| | 2 packages shredded cheddar or Mexican
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| region. Traditionally, southerners bread
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| | cheese
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| it with cornmeal and fry it. But there
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| | 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
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| are numerous other ways to prepare it,
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| | 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
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| too.
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| | Cooking oil
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| Thanks to farmed catfish, this southern
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| | Directions
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| staple is showing up on seafood shelves
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| | 1. Brush fish, inside and outside, with
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| in other regions, too. That's a positive
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| | tomato sauce.
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| development. It's an inexpensive food,
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| | 2. Grease a baking large baking dish.
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| yet one that is particularly high in
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| | Place fish in dish and brush with a
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| protein and other nutritional goodness.
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| | little cooking oil.
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| Nearly all U.S. farm-raised catfish, by
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| | 4. Sprinkle the two cheeses and the
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| the way, comes from four states: Alabama,
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| | parsley flakes over the fish and bake in
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| Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. This
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| | an oven at 350 degrees for approximately
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| industry employs over 13,000 people.
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| | 30 minutes.
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| Catfish farming is also economically
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| | 5. Turn fish over and broil close to top
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| important in parts of South America and
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| | heat of oven for 2 minutes.
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| Asia.
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| | Grilled Catfish
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| So just what is a catfish? The name
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| | Ingredients
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| applies to an incredibly large number of
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| | 6 catfish fillets
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| different species, but they all have
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| | Juice of 2 lemons
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| prominent barbels, resembling a cat's
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| | 1/3 cup cooking oil
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| whiskers--hence the name. Most catfish
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| | 1 teaspoon salt
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| are found in freshwater habitats, though
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| | Directions
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| some--like the "cat" that sent
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| | 1. Combine all ingredients (except
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| me to the hospital--live in the sea.
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| | fillets) in a casserole dish to create a
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| Catfish range greatly in size, too. Some
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| | marinade.
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| are tiny, and may be kept in aquaria.
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| | 2. Place fillets in casserole dish with
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| Others are literally gigantic; the
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| | marinade. Let stand in refrigerator
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| largest freshwater fish on record is a
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| | overnight.
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| 646-pound Mekong giant catfish that some
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| | 3. Grill marinated fillets over hot coals
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| fishermen in Thailand somehow managed to
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| | 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the
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| catch.
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| | fish flakes when pierced with a fork.
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