Catfish Preparation and Cooking

My favorite fish is catfish, no matter how you cook it. It's quite plentiful now because the fish are raised commercially. The commercially-raised catfish still have the same flavor they had when caught out of a muddy stream or river. They definitely have a taste of their own.

Preparing catfish for cooking and eating is no easy task. It takes extreme care to miss the sharp barbs of the horns that stick out of the side of the catfish. The best method is to nail the fish onto a board, then use a pliers to grab the skin from the top of the body and pull all the skin off. Then cut off the head. Depending on the size of the fish, you can either fillet it or cut it into slices about an inch thick, leaving the backbone in tact. Catfish doesn't have a lot of tiny bones to contend with as some other fish do.

If you want your catfish fried, the best way is to roll it in cornmeal, put it in a skillet covered with a nice layer of butter, salt and pepper to taste, and fry until golden brown, then turn over and brown on the other side. Again, depending on the size of the piece, don't overcook. A fillet can be done in 3 minutes on each side, but a whole fish or thick slice will take a little longer.

Besides frying, you can also cook fish in the microwave oven; just season to taste and sprinkle lemon juice on top before cooking, the time depending on the size and thickness of the fish. There are many ways to cook fish, but the best way our family likes it is barbecued on the grill outside, sprinkled with lemon juice and served with a baked potato and a favorite vegetable.

Following is an original recipe that makes a nice main dish meal:

Emma's Catfish Casserole

I cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup macaroni, cooked
1/2cup onion, diced finely
1/2cup celery, diced finely
1/2cup green pepper, diced finely
1cup kernel corn
4 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 medium size catfish, simmered in butter
Milk as needed to thicken sauce to desired thickness

Remove the catfish meat from the bones.
Cut fish into small pieces.
Butter the casserole.
Mix macaroni, corn and catfish and place in casserole.
Saute vegetables in butter until tender.
Stir in flour and add milk until you have a thin sauce.
Season to taste and pour over mixture in casserole.
Cover with the grated cheese.
Bake 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

The End

Learn more about this author, Emma Willey.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Catfish preparation and cooking?
We want to hear your view. Write now!