Caught a Catfish..... Now what???

[action.420]

I haven't ate a catfish before...most people around here look down on it, probably because they are so fucking slimy and a pain in the ass. But my grandpop used to swear by them, and they usually know best... :thumbsup:

[The House]

Don't worry Dean, I've left the sink on.... so the water keeps circulating. Now I guess i'm waisting water too, huh?:thumbsup: I'll eat it. I'll just wait till my roommate comes home to help me clean it. Why do they have wiskers? My friend said it's cause their blind. But when I walk over to the sink... It can see me.

[slipknotpsycho]

cut off it's horns.... i learned that lesson the hard way..... as i was pulling off the skin the pliars slppped and his head was still on the cutting board... one of the worst pains in my life.... it was a big fucker so his horn wasn't little, nor sharp... but it managed to prety much go all the way through the dead center of my hand....

other then that, either get fishfry, or just coat him in a 75% cornmeal 25% flour mix.... and fry him.

[The House]

Yeah those things look dangerous! Mines only about 2 pounds so there kinda small but look like they could do some damage. I'll need to find some pliers but it looks like it could be done. Should I try and fillet it or just take off the head and skin it?

[slipknotpsycho]

that small, just take off the head and skin it.... (fins too of course and intestines lol)

then just use the mix i said above and fry him... you can deep fry him if you have a deep fryer, but if you're gonna do it in a pan, just make sure the oil covers him halfway, and flip him after a few minutes (medium-high heat, he'd be too fat to flash cook, but you wanna cook him fast)

[The House]

Right on! That what i'm gonna do. I'll use the pan method and hope I do it right. Thanks for the info on the fishfry stuff. I think I saw it at the store a few days ago so i'll go get it. After I eat it i'll let you all know how it turned out. :microwave:

[slipknotpsycho]

i always find caught fish taste the best.... not sure if it's because you caught it, or if you just know it's 100% fresh....

i wish i could go fishing =/ i haven't been in years.... i can't wait til my son gets old enough to go...

[Cannabis-Sativa]

start off my stabbing him in the head and then cut down his underbelly and pull all the organs out and then wash out the blood with cold water, and you now have fish meat with bones, i don't know how to take out the bones

[Storm Crow]

Bash it HARD! Catfish do not die easy! Watch out for the dorsal spine (the fin on its back). Many catfish have a poison in that spine that can cause pain. The other fins are usually OK.

Do all of this next part outside or over a sink! Get a sharp knife. Slit the belly near the gills. DO NOT cut its asshole! Stop just before you get there! Scrape out the guts and swim bladder (if your species of catfish has one). The stomach will be still be attached, as will the asshole. Cut the stomach end from the head. It dangles in the sink, while you carefully cut around the asshole trying your best not to nick the intestines. Get rid of the innards. Rinse the fish.

Now it is an easy thing to remove the head and tail. The fins have spines going into the flesh, so you may wish to remove them with the fins. Cut right next to the fin on both sides, going deep into the meat. Give it a good yank, and it should come out. Pliers are useful for this.

I don't care for fish skin, so I usually skin it. Pliers can be helpful here, too. Just grab and pull. With some fish you can start peeling the skin off with a knife, and then just force your fingers between the skin and the flesh.

If it is a really BIG catfish, you may want to make fillets. Cut just one side of the middle, all the way along the spine. Eventually, you will hit the ribs. Don't cut through them! Just take the knife, and scrape and peel the meat from the ribs. Boneless fillets!

How to cook them- Dry the fillets or fish chunks with paper towels. Dip into a 50/50 mix of egg and milk. Dip in your choice of dry bread crumbs, corn meal and/or flour plus herbs. I like a mix of flour and corn meal with sesame seeds, onion powder and thyme. Fry in about 1/4 inch or less of oil. Do not fry at too high of a temperature! Give them time to brown. Flip them once.

Add a tossed salad and some corn bread and you got a great meal! - Granny

[slipknotpsycho]

well tha'ts what filet is for <.< but it's too small.... best way to get the meat off the bones after it's cooked is just use a fork, and kind of 'rake' the meat going the same direction as the bones....

just make sure you chew good to make sure there are no bones in each mouthful....