Carolina Catfish Recipes for Winter Cooks

Catfish are available in our area during the winter through grocery stores and seafood markets and also as wild-caught fish. The Charlotte area is blessed with a number of large lakes where catfish are active throughout the colder months. This includes Lake Norma which has two "hot holes" in the Duke Power steam and nuclear power plants which draw catfish toward anglers even in freezing weather.

Catfish are a terrific table fish, with firm white meat that fits into many different recipes. Most catfish sold in stores are channel catfish which have a mild flavor, while wild caught blue and flathead catfish are more deliciously distinctive.

Catfish are great for frying and also work well in stews and gumbos since the white meat tends to remain firm and hearty. Many Carolina catfish recipes go back several generations.

Lowcountry Cheesy Baked Catfish

2 lbs catfish fillets, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon chopped dill
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup milk
2 tomatoes, cubed
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish and sprinkle flour on the bottom of the dish. Roll catfish chunks in flour and place in the dish. Add salt, Cayenne peppers, lemon juice, dill, and grated cheese. Mix, then pour milk on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Spread tomato cubes over fish and return to bake until tomatoes are heated thoroughly. Top with Parmesan cheese while hot and serve. Serves 5-6.

Fisherman's Fried Catfish

6 medium catfish fillets
1 cup flour
2 1/2 cans beer
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix flour, beer and cayenne pepper in blender until smooth and thick. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour. Dip filets in batter and drop into hot oil and deep fry. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Serves 3.

Saucy Grilled Catfish

8 pan-sized catfish, about a pound each, dressed and skinned
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup tomato juice
½ cup rum
½ tablespoon garlic salt
½ tablespoon Cayenne pepper
black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except catfish and black pepper. Marinate catfish in other ingredients for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Grill catfish on medium high heat on grill about 10 minutes on each side. Serves 4.

Easy Catfish Chowder

2 lbs catfish fillets, cut into chunks
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1⁄2 cup milk
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced onions
2 tablespoons butter
grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in water until tender, drain and set aside. Using a soup pot, sauté onions in butter until translucent. Add to onions the soups, milk, and cooked potatoes. Simmer 15 minutes. Add catfish fillet chunks. Continue simmering about 15 minutes. Top with salt and pepper and grated Parmesan cheese to taste. Serve with oyster crackers or saltines. Serves 5 to 6.

Catfish Gumbo

2 lb catfish fillets, cut into chunks
½ lb bacon
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup green and/or red pepper, diced
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup okra, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
4 cups chicken broth
four drops hot sauce

Saute bacon in a large pot and reserve (crumble bacon when cool). Heat bacon fat until it begins to smoke, then add an equal amount of flour. Stir until the mixture is brown. Add broth, sausage, vegetables, seasonings, and crumbled bacon. Cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes and then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes constantly stirring. Add catfish and simmer 15 minutes more. Serve over white rice. Serves 6-8.

Spicy Catfish Nuggets

2 lb catfish fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup beer
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
3 cups fine yellow corn flour
vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, beer, mustard, Tabasco, and half of the salt and pepper. Place catfish in egg mixture, coating well; cover, refrigerate, and let soak for about 1 hour. Mix corn flour with the remaining salt and peppers in a shallow, wide bowl.

Preheat oil in deep fryer to about 370 degrees. Remove catfish from mixture and dredge with corn flour mixture. Fry catfish until the fish nuggets float to the surface and turn golden brown, taking care not to overcook. Place catfish nuggets on paper towels to drain. Serves 4-6.

For fishing and recipes articles see my blog A Dash of Salty