# Catfish Stew



## GonnaSmoke (Sep 12, 2022)

Growing up my dad always made a white, milk based stew with butter and potatoes. The fish was never filleted because he thought that was wasteful so we always had to eat around the bones. Later in life at deer camps, I learned about red stews which are tomato based and because my wife doesn't care for white soups, stews, or chowders, I've gone in that direction. My wife is also spoiled in that she's never had to eat around fish bones so there's that. Traditionally, I've always boiled the fish first, but decided to go a different route this time and grill it so here we go...

Catfish fillets, including the belly meat(my favorite part), from a fish that weighed maybe 7-8 lbs. I'm guessing...







Seasoned with coarse salt and cracked pepper. Into my fish basket and onto the grill over lump...






Got it mostly done with some nice color...






Since the grill was hot, decided to cook the onions and jalapenos on it to give even more roasted flavor to the stew. This is 3 medium yellow onions...











Once all is charred and chopped, time to gather up the rest of the ingredients and assemble the stew...






5 slices of thick sliced Wright Brand Hickory bacon sauted. The bacon was very lean so I added a teaspoon of bacon grease to the pot. Fry until the fat is rendered, but the bacon is not crispy...






Next I sauted 2 stalks of chopped celery until mostly tender...






Added in the chopped onions and jalapenos. Cooked for a couple more minutes...






Then the fish which I had pulled apart some by hand...






After all that has sauted for a couple of minutes, I added in the 28 oz. can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and a healthy dose of pepper. Let that come to a simmer stirring regularly...






Most red catfish stews I've seen and eaten use tomato juice, but now it's time for my not-so-secret ingredient...






Pour in the V-8 and bring back to a simmer, again stirring regularly...






I let it simmer for maybe 10 minutes, stirring regularly, before I add the potatoes. That will continue to break up the catfish. After adding the potatoes, bring back to a simmer and cook uncovered until the potatoes are tender and the stew thickens slightly, continuing to stir regularly. I do it this way because I don't like the potatoes to be falling apart...






I let people add their own hot sauce to their bowl so I don't add any to the pot. Time to eat...






I made a pot of rice for those who prefer their stew with it, but I like mine without. Also had Texas Pete and Tabasco for those that like them. This stew is best after it sits overnight, but who's got time for that, right? 

This was my first time grilling the fish instead of just boiling it first. My friends said that they really liked the smokiness of the stew, but I couldn't really taste it all that much. If I boil the fish, I drain most of that water from the pot, but leave maybe a cup or so to help flavor the stew.

Any white fish will work with this recipe and I've made it using redfish, stripers, and Sheepshead, but they don't seem to add as much "fishy" taste to the stew as catfish does...

The ingredients...

~4 lbs. catfish fillets grilled and pulled apart by hand
5 slices of thick sliced bacon diced. Fatback or streak o' lean can be used but be aware of the salt they'll add
8-9 medium potatoes peeled and cut into bite sized pieces. I used a combination of red and gold because that's what I had on hand
2 stalks of celery diced. I use a potato peeler to remove the ribs before dicing because I don't like them
5 jalapenos roasted, de-seeded and chopped. These were small peppers that my wife grew and really don't have much heat. Should've used more and/or left the seeds in
3 medium yellow onions roasted and diced
1 28 oz. can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 64 oz. bottle of V-8 original. Can use the spicy V-8 or plain tomato juice
Coarse salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. I did not add any salt to this stew, just a healthy dose of the pepper


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## tbern (Sep 12, 2022)

that grilled fish looks awesome and the stew looks delicious!!!   thanks for sharing!


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## chopsaw (Sep 12, 2022)

I bet that was great . I'd have trouble saving the fish for the stew . Looks perfect coming off the grill .


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## JLeonard (Sep 12, 2022)

Looks great from here. Although, I don’t know how much of the grilled fish would make it to the pot! 
Jim


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## smokerjim (Sep 12, 2022)

Looks excellant


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## CTXSmokeLover (Sep 12, 2022)

That looks so good. Thanks for sharing your recipe!


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## chilerelleno (Sep 12, 2022)

That chowder looks mighty tasty.
I like seafood chowders in both New England (white) or New York (red).

I've a recipe for fish chowder (white) made with Redfish around here somewhere.

EDIT: 





						Redfish Chowder
					

Since there is a Chowder posted in the Comfort Food thread, I think we should have one here too.   *** This chowder recipe works great with just about any firm fleshed fish or seafood. ***   REDFISH CHOWDER    5T. butter 2 med. yellow onions, diced (approx 3c) 5 med. potatoes cut in bite size...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## Colin1230 (Sep 12, 2022)

That is one delicious looking stew. I love catfish but have never had it in a stew. Thanks Charles, for sharing this.


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Sep 12, 2022)

That's a very good-looking stew.  I will definitely try it sometime.  Thanks for posting the recipe.  May I ask:  Do you pull the fish off the grill early to avoid over-cooking it in the stew, or is that not a concern?  

I ask because I go to a restaurant here that features what they call "Sopa Siete Mares", which contains fish, lobster, mussels, etc., in a red broth.  Very tasty, but often some of the seafood is tough from over cooking.


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## mosparky (Sep 12, 2022)

With the cost of catfish  around here, I might have to get back into catfishing. This looks very tempting. Good Job !!


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## checkdude (Sep 12, 2022)

Great looking stew. Ate my share of fish but never in stew. Sure looks mighty tasty and as mentioned above the fish coming from the grill would have a hard time making into the pot. Mabey make a lot more so there is enough left for the stew?


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## jcam222 (Sep 12, 2022)

I’m a fan of good white or red chowders. This looks great.


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## tx smoker (Sep 12, 2022)

That looks and sounds phenomenal. One of the best looking pots of soup I've ever seen. I'd go off the high dive into a pot of that my friend!! 

Robert


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## TNJAKE (Sep 12, 2022)

Outstanding Charles. Now you got me thinking of a Cajun version using blackened catfish!


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## indaswamp (Sep 12, 2022)

AWESOME! Man I would tear that up!!! Good job!


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 13, 2022)

tbern said:


> that grilled fish looks awesome and the stew looks delicious!!!   thanks for sharing!





chopsaw said:


> I bet that was great . I'd have trouble saving the fish for the stew . Looks perfect coming off the grill .





JLeonard said:


> Looks great from here. Although, I don’t know how much of the grilled fish would make it to the pot!
> Jim





smokerjim said:


> Looks excellant





CTXSmokeLover said:


> That looks so good. Thanks for sharing your recipe!


Thank you guys, I really appreciate it!


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 13, 2022)

chilerelleno said:


> That chowder looks mighty tasty.
> I like seafood chowders in both New England (white) or New York (red).
> 
> I've a recipe for fish chowder (white) made with Redfish around here somewhere.
> ...


Thanks John. I love New England style chowders, the wife...not so much...


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 13, 2022)

Colin1230 said:


> That is one delicious looking stew. I love catfish but have never had it in a stew. Thanks Charles, for sharing this.





mosparky said:


> With the cost of catfish  around here, I might have to get back into catfishing. This looks very tempting. Good Job !!





checkdude said:


> Great looking stew. Ate my share of fish but never in stew. Sure looks mighty tasty and as mentioned above the fish coming from the grill would have a hard time making into the pot. Mabey make a lot more so there is enough left for the stew?





jcam222 said:


> I’m a fan of good white or red chowders. This looks great.


Thank you all for the compliments, they are much appreciated...


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 13, 2022)

PulledPorkSandwich said:


> That's a very good-looking stew.  I will definitely try it sometime.  Thanks for posting the recipe.  May I ask:  Do you pull the fish off the grill early to avoid over-cooking it in the stew, or is that not a concern?
> 
> I ask because I go to a restaurant here that features what they call "Sopa Siete Mares", which contains fish, lobster, mussels, etc., in a red broth.  Very tasty, but often some of the seafood is tough from over cooking.


Thank you for your thoughts. This was the first time I've grilled the fish before making the stew and I was trying to just get the flavor and color on the fish and not so much worried about getting it cooked, I knew that it would finish cooking in the pot.


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 13, 2022)

tx smoker said:


> That looks and sounds phenomenal. One of the best looking pots of soup I've ever seen. I'd go off the high dive into a pot of that my friend!!
> 
> Robert


Thank you Robert. It really was very good, at least to my taste buds...


TNJAKE said:


> Outstanding Charles. Now you got me thinking of a Cajun version using blackened catfish!


Thanks Jake. I really like that idea...


indaswamp said:


> AWESOME! Man I would tear that up!!! Good job!


Thank you Keith!!


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Sep 13, 2022)

Wow that looks fantastic!  I have recently been trying Catfishing with no luck!  Fishing from boat last 6 times without one.  Had a lot of fun Striper fishing this year but want to learn this than on to Crappie.  I may have to just pay a guide to learn from.


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 13, 2022)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> Wow that looks fantastic!  I have recently been trying Catfishing with no luck!  Fishing from boat last 6 times without one.  Had a lot of fun Striper fishing this year but want to learn this than on to Crappie.  I may have to just pay a guide to learn from.


Thank you Brian, I appreciate it. I'm not a catfisherman, but I know a little about their habits around here from friends who are. Right now they are catching them pretty good in 20-30 feet of water using live blue back herring and gizzard shad or cut herring and shad on the bottom, but it has to be fresh. I would think that any fresh fish such as white perch or bream, if legal, would work, too. I don't know anyone who uses any kind of stink bait, but then I only know a couple of people who actively target cats. All of the bigger cats that I hear about are caught on some sort of fresh fish. I'm talking about 20 lbs. or bigger. My personal best on a rod and reel was caught trolling live large shiners while fishing for stripers on Cherokee Lake in Tennessee last November. It was a 45 lb. blue cat, caught in less than 10 feet of water and was released to fight another day. Good luck and catch em up...


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## TNJAKE (Sep 13, 2022)

Chicken or turkey livers work magic on catfish......if the lake has a spill way I'd head over there


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Sep 13, 2022)

GonnaSmoke said:


> gizzard shad


I bought a throw net.  Tried couple times but had a hard time finding any.  Need to give another try.  I know they are in the cove I launch.  I been using punch bait.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Sep 18, 2022)

I have broke down and booked a guide for end of month.  He been getting some huge catfish.  I really just want to get some 3-5 lb but will be fun reeling in those monsters.  Sometimes you have to pay to be taught.


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 18, 2022)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> I have broke down and booked a guide for end of month.  He been getting some huge catfish.  I really just want to get some 3-5 lb but will be fun reeling in those monsters.  Sometimes you have to pay to be taught.


I agree. As a charter captain myself, I've been hired numerous times to teach young and/or new fishermen, or even experienced fishermen, how to fish the way I do. I don't hide anything because I'm of the belief that "you can't catch them all." I always explain what I'm doing and why, right or wrong, and also what I do at different times of the year.

So don't hesitate to ask your captain why he's doing what he's doing, where he's doing it, and what he would try next month or next spring or whenever. Through the course of the seasons, fish migrate so what works today at that particular place may not work next week, next month, etc. But it will give you some idea of the techniques, tackle, and bait to use. Just be respectful of his location(s) if he'll be coming back there in the next few days or so with other charters. Surely there are many other places that are similar to where you'll be fishing that you could locate yourself and try to duplicate what he shows you.

Remember, there's no substitute for time on the water...


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## Bearcarver (Sep 19, 2022)

Looks Great, Charles!!
I see I'm not the only one here who would have trouble saving any for the stew, after a good Grilling!!
However I notice Festus & Doc are quite partial to "Catfish Stew" at "Delmonicos".
Like.

Bear


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## Hijack73 (Sep 19, 2022)

Livers/nightcrawlers for channel cats, cut for blue cats, live bait (bluegills are like prime rib for flatties) for flatheads.  White perch being my second choice, shad #3.  When the shad are running and you can net 500/throw it's fun and only takes 1 throw lol. 

Any catfish will take a live bait and I've caught a lot of flats on cut bait, but those are my go-to for specific species.   I target the big ones and have caught dozens over 40 in both blues/flats and quite a few 10+ channels (all of those on cut or live while fishing for the others)

Flatheads are the only ones worth eatin IMO ;)


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## crazymoon (Sep 19, 2022)

GS, Wow, nice post and excellent stew!


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 20, 2022)

Bearcarver said:


> However I notice Festus & Doc are quite partial to "Catfish Stew" at "Delmonicos".


Thank you John and yes, I remember that episode...


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## GonnaSmoke (Sep 20, 2022)

Hijack73 said:


> Flatheads are the only ones worth eatin IMO


I don't get to fish for catfish, but I agree that they are the best to eat...


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## Bearcarver (Sep 22, 2022)

We never had the big Catfish around here, but they are starting to occupy our rivers, mainly the Susquehanna & the Delaware in Eastern PA.
Bear Jr's been hitting the Susquehanna this year, and has done pretty good.
Below are some he has caught on small Bluegills 6" to 8" long:

Biggest one he caught so far:






A couple more:






Say "Ahhhh":   Susquehanna River, PA:


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## Hijack73 (Sep 22, 2022)

Bear Jr is a flathead hunter!!!

Yum!!!!

Though it's an unpopular opinion, have him keep one in the 25-30 lb range.  The meat on those bigger ones is so good.  The belly on the big ones is especially good when it's dredged in cornmeal and deep fried.


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## Bearcarver (Sep 22, 2022)

Hijack73 said:


> Bear Jr is a flathead hunter!!!
> 
> Yum!!!!
> 
> Though it's an unpopular opinion, have him keep one in the 25-30 lb range.  The meat on those bigger ones is so good.  The belly on the big ones is especially good when it's dredged in cornmeal and deep fried.


LOL---That kid is a fishing machine.
I started taking him when he was old enough to walk PA trout streams with hip boots on, and not fall out of boats. He never stopped.
As for these Flatheads, we never had them when I was still fishing, so I didn't teach him that one. Instead he got a guide to take him & his buddy out on the Susquehanna River, and that first day they caught 36 Flatheads, and at least half a dozen were in the 30 pound range.
The difficulty is getting him to cut a couple up for the old man, because I can't do it any more. He was out again last week, and caught another dozen, with a couple around 30 pounds. I got more pictures, but I don't want to flood the market. What I want now is some Flathead meat for my Ninja!!

Bear


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## Buckeyedude (Nov 2, 2022)

Looks great!  I bet it taste even better!


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