Yeti GOBOX Collection

Fried Catfish Poboy

It helps to use "House Autry" brand of fish breading. Made in Eastern NC but not sure if it's available in your area. I'm sure there are others and a dozen or more who are convinced their favorite is superior. Fish caught in the blackwater coastal plain streams and lakes of the Southeast are the tastiest in my opinion.
I use house Autry or Zatarains. This was Zatarains. With Zat’s you have to watch adding anything on the fish that has salt as the breader mix has a lot of salt in it already.
I toss the fish in a simple yellow mustard and egg mixture. Toss it in the breader to coat. Shake excess off then into peanut oil or veg oil.
I been around a lot of people that want to complicate the process. My process yields a crispy fish every time. Key I found is to cook it long enough for it to get really crispy.
If crispy is what your looking for. I fry my shrimp the same way.
 
I started eating Catfish right out of College when I worked in Louisiana , Arkansas and Mississippi. I grew up in Ohio in the 70s so not much good catfish in my area at that time. I just never had it. I got spoiled in those three states. Almost every place you go there had great catfish.
 
Took the kids to culvers today and had the walleye sandwich 3/10. Wouldn't recommend. Catfish is a tough one.
Never had a good catfish fry up here. Had some smoked in your neck of the woods that was good. Get down south and they know how to do it right! I'd really like to know what the difference is. Im guessing it's in the prep.
I was the same way. People would rave about them and I didn't see the attraction. One bite would be good and the next bite would be strong. I set out to figure out how to treat them. I bleed them immediately either on a stringer in the water or usually right in the iced cooler. With arthritis in both thumbs the less I handle them the better. At home I fillet them and put the fillets right into a pan of clean, cold water. Next step is the trimming. Lay the fillet with the outside of the fillet down. Trim the gristle off the top and the fin tissue and belly meat off the bottom. Then cut on each side of the lateral line separating the fillet into a top and bottom loin. Turn the loin over with the outside of the fillet up. You'll see glossy fat and brown, zebra striped meat. Fillet this off about an 1/8" down until you get down to clean, white meat. It's time consuming but worth it. I've converted a lot of catfish haters with this prep.
 
I was the same way. People would rave about them and I didn't see the attraction. One bite would be good and the next bite would be strong. I set out to figure out how to treat them. I bleed them immediately either on a stringer in the water or usually right in the iced cooler. With arthritis in both thumbs the less I handle them the better. At home I fillet them and put the fillets right into a pan of clean, cold water. Next step is the trimming. Lay the fillet with the outside of the fillet down. Trim the gristle off the top and the fin tissue and belly meat off the bottom. Then cut on each side of the lateral line separating the fillet into a top and bottom loin. Turn the loin over with the outside of the fillet up. You'll see glossy fat and brown, zebra striped meat. Fillet this off about an 1/8" down until you get down to clean, white meat. It's time consuming but worth it. I've converted a lot of catfish haters with this prep.
Thank you. The ones I've had have been more of a texture issue for me, mushy. I haven't caught catfish in years but would love to get out with the boys and get some. If we do I'll follow this.
 
Best catfish I ever had was in New Iberia Louisiana. We were working at a pipeline station and another contractor crew had their own cook crew that travelled with them. Our crew only had myself and another guy so they invited us to lunch almost daily. The cook had a trailer that was basically a commercial kitchen and he’d have a whole spread to go with the fish.

When I lived in west central Illinois there was a restaurant that had buffalo fritters. The river fish, not the plains mega fauna. Damn those things were good.
 
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