Part cat, part fish, all good

by Kara Sirmans, Posted Aug 28th 2007 @ 12:45PM

You've seen it laying about at the fish counter in the grocery store -- don't pretend you haven't. But while you were busy averting your gaze, you've been missing one of the holy of holies of southern cooking: catfish.

August is National Catfish Month and if you've turned up your nose at this surprisingly healthy (and easy to get fresh) fish, you're just being -- as my sorta-Southern mama would say -- uppity. Fried catfish is nearly as iconic as hush pups, sweet tea and pulled pork. Now the Catfish Institute is trying to dust off its second-class seafood image and go national. Fittingly enough, Iron Chef Cat Cora has signed on as its celebrity chef spokesperson. I haven't made any of her recipes but coconut catfish can never be a bad thing.

Catfish has long been a secret weapon in my cooking arsenal. I stopped telling people which fish they were eating until after the initial "Really?!" This is usually followed by a request for the recipe. My version (cobbled together from various sources) starts by marinating it in beer (Dixie would be appropriate, don't you think?) for 30 minutes, dredge in flour, cracker or cornmeal spiked with Zatarain's or another seafood seasoning mix, lay fillets in a medium-hot greased pan top-down, flip about 3-4 minutes (depending on the size of your fillet). You end up with a lightly zingy crust that melts into a firm white fish that has just a little bit of tang from behind the bar. Dress it up with cheese grits and cucumber salad or down with corn sticks and fried okra. Guess which I suggest? For hardcore fans, this recipe from Soul Food and Southern Cooking is a good place to start.

Filed Under: Ingredients
Tags: catfish, fish, fried, southern cooking, SouthernCooking

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-28-2007 @2:06PM Sam said... Catfish is truly an under appreciated marvel. For many cooking methods, try looking here:

http://catfishinstitute.com/?q=recipes.html

And don't forget to check for the 'US Farm Raised' logo where you buy your catfish.
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8-28-2007 @2:25PM amber said... i spent my teenage years in texas, and we used to have catfish cook-outs almost every weekend. now that I'm living in WA, i have plenty of fish to choose from, but no good catfish like i remember. bummer :(
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8-28-2007 @4:00PM MJ said... Plate me up one, this looks delicious! Childhood we had fried fish every Saturday. And all the fixins Thanks ma!
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9-12-2007 @3:59PM Judy said... I have had the catfish that is described in this blog ... and believe me, it is to die for! My husband and I both remember this, 6 years after having Kara's catfish, as one of those pivotal meals. Try it ... it is truly delish!
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