# Catfish



## GonnaSmoke (Aug 18, 2021)

A friend gave me some fresh catfish fillets so I opted for a quick and easy meal...FRIED! Not many pictures, but cut them into small pieces, dry battered in Adluh Carolina Breader and since Fred was making his presence known, I already had my fish fryer in the garage. Deep fried with french fries and cole slaw.











But my wife prefers pan seared so I took one fillet, dusted both sides with J.O.'s #1, and pan seared it in butter and EVOO on both sides. Into a 375℉ oven for the finish...










Not many pictures, but this was all quick, fast, and in a hurry before my wife had to go to work...


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## flatbroke (Aug 18, 2021)

never ate catfish before but that looks great


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## smokerjim (Aug 18, 2021)

That looks delicous, I'll take some of each please.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Aug 18, 2021)

The catfish looks great man! I love fried catfish, fries, and hush puppies. My wife is the same way as yours and prefers baked or seared so do plenty of that too. Very nice!


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## tx smoker (Aug 18, 2021)

GonnaSmoke said:


> Not many pictures, but this was all quick, fast, and in a hurry before my wife had to go to work



Didn't need many pictures. You got the point across very well. Catfish, especially fresh, is one of my absolute favorite fishes. It's also one of the very few things that I prefer fried so you hit a soft spot in my heart with this one   

Robert


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## DRKsmoking (Aug 18, 2021)

Looks great, I never had fresh water catfish, I have had saltwater catfish ( up here also called bluefish , have teeth like a human, very sweet taste )

Those look real good , I like mine both ways ...deep fried better though

David


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## smokeymose (Aug 18, 2021)

Deep fried is how it's usually done around here, with fries and slaw of course.
Nice!


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## JckDanls 07 (Aug 18, 2021)

Only way to do catfish...  looking good my friend ...

I also am doing some tonight ..  fried green maters instead of fries ...


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## pushok2018 (Aug 18, 2021)

That's my meal, man!! Looks really nice. I love catfish.... Any leftovers?


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## SmokinEdge (Aug 18, 2021)

Real deal catfish there for sure. Looks delicious. Nice job on that pan sear also.


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## motocrash (Aug 18, 2021)

Yessir, deep fried is proper    Looks great!
Heh, I had a fry about 20 years ago, served catfish 2 ways, fried and baked in a panko parmesan crust. I was a slave to the oven!
I learned that day to keep it simple and to the fryer, fish, chicken tenders, hushpuppies, and steak fries.


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## Colin1230 (Aug 18, 2021)

Huge catfish fan here too! Deep fried or blackened, it's all good! Nice job and thanks for sharing.


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## gmc2003 (Aug 19, 2021)

Seems to be a lot of fish frying going on here in the past day or so. GS that catfish looks fantastic. I haven't had fresh catfish in about 20yrs. May have to wipe the dust off my fishing pole.

Point for sure
Chris


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## JLeonard (Aug 19, 2021)

Oh man I love a good fish fry. Yours looks excellent. 

Jim


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## SmokinAl (Aug 19, 2021)

Excellent looking fish fry. I personally like my catfish whole & lightly battered. I just eat them with my hands like a corn cob. Only thing I put on it is lemon juice. One of my favorite meals!
Al


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## GonnaSmoke (Aug 19, 2021)

gmc2003 said:


> Seems to be a lot of fish frying going on here in the past day or so. GS that catfish looks fantastic. I haven't had fresh catfish in about 20yrs. May have to wipe the dust off my fishing pole.
> 
> Point for sure
> Chris


Chris, my dad always said, "A dry hook won't catch fish."
Thank you for your kind words.


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## GonnaSmoke (Aug 19, 2021)

JckDanls 07 said:


> Only way to do catfish...  looking good my friend ...
> 
> I also am doing some tonight ..  fried green maters instead of fries ...


Oh man, we love fried green tomatoes. 
Thank you, Jack for your kind words and now I'm off to find some green toms...


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## Bearcarver (Aug 19, 2021)

Awesome!!
Nice Jobs, GS !!
Catfish has always been my favorite eating Fish since I was about 3 years old, almost 70 years!!
I was eating Catfish in Pennsylvania when most people we knew locally were going "EEeewwww, you eat Catfish?!?!" "Yuck".
Now they even sell it in PA Restaurants & it costs a fortune!!
Like.

Bear


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## GonnaSmoke (Aug 19, 2021)

Bearcarver said:


> Awesome!!
> Nice Jobs, GS !!
> Catfish has always been my favorite eating Fish since I was about 3 years old, almost 70 years!!
> I was eating Catfish in Pennsylvania when most people we knew locally were going "EEeewwww, you eat Catfish?!?!" "Yuck".
> ...


I grew up eating catfish and we really like it, too. I just don't get many opportunities anymore to fish for them like I did growing up. I have also encountered the same reactions that you have about eating it. I just assume it's because many have never tried it and my dad would say, "You don't really know if you like something until you try it." Flathead is my absolute favorite, especially the belly meat on them.

Thank you for the compliments...


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## Bearcarver (Aug 19, 2021)

GonnaSmoke said:


> I grew up eating catfish and we really like it, too. I just don't get many opportunities anymore to fish for them like I did growing up. I have also encountered the same reactions that you have about eating it. I just assume it's because many have never tried it and my dad would say, "You don't really know if you like something until you try it." Flathead is my absolute favorite, especially the belly meat on them.
> 
> Thank you for the compliments...




Yup, we always ate Mud Cats, Channels, and Bullheads, mostly from the Delaware River, at night.
My son promised me some Flathead Chunks, but didn't get any yet.
He says they are the best.

Bear


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## binnesman (Aug 19, 2021)

Awesome job making me hungry again.


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## GonnaSmoke (Aug 19, 2021)

Bearcarver said:


> Yup, we always ate Mud Cats, Channels, and Bullheads, mostly from the Delaware River, at night.
> My son promised me some Flathead Chunks, but didn't get any yet.
> He says they are the best.
> 
> Bear


Your son is right. The thing that makes them different from other varieties of catfish is their diet. They almost exclusively eat live fish, they're not really bottom feeders like the others and that makes their meat different. That's not to say that they can't be caught on a fresh piece of cut fish, but you generally won't ever catch them on any kind of stink bait, worms, soap, etc. like many use to catch other types of catfish. I just wish that I had more time to chase them like I did in my younger days. My personal best was about 70 lbs. when I was much, much younger.


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## mosparky (Aug 19, 2021)

My favorite eating fish. Heck, I was 14 before I realized Tennessee had more than Catfish and Brim. I seriously thought them other fish were only in other parts of the country.  That's all Dad fished for.
The She-Beast recently took to  buying FIllets and pan frying them. Gotta say, she done good.


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## 801driver (Aug 19, 2021)

I catch Catfish and Sand bass on a regular basis at least a couple times a week here in Oklahoma living by the lake.  I fillet the Catfish just like the Sand bass and cut out the red meat line the same.  Larger ones I cut into multiple pieces to cook more even and faster.  It is hard to tell a big difference after being fried.  I use a dry batter, half self rising corn meal, half flour, lots of pepper, a little salt and some seasoning.  Then I thin slice onions for rings and batter them, then jalapeno slices from a jar with the last of the batter.  (Deep frying takes a lot of the heat out but leaves the flavor) I throw in some potato slices last.  I have a deep fryer on my deck that holds about a gallon of oil.  By the time we get through cooking no one is hungry because of "taste testing" as we go, including my dogs.  Ha Ha

Thanks for sharing.


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