Catfish nuggets

[Clipper]

:)My neighbor brought me a really nice catfish today. It weighs about 8 lbs. Nice eating fish this time of year when the water is still cold, and the fish is nice and firm. I think I got about 2 1/2 lbs of fillet when I was done trimming all the darker colored fatty meat from the belly and centerline.

I soak the fillets in salt water for a couple of hours to do away with some of the oils. Then in Buttermilk for another couple of hours.

I make a batter consisting of 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of white corn meal, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (less if ya don't like it), 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, 1 egg beaten, and then add beer until the batter is the right consistency.

Heat your fryer to 375 degrees. Cut the fillets into 1 or 1 1/2 inch squares and drop them in the hot grease and fry until the batter coating is golden brown.

Serve with tartar sauce.

I make my own tartar sauce. 1 cup mayo, 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish, 3 tablespoons grated onion (grated finely on a box grater) 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and two tablespoons of Texas Pete hot sauce.

Ya can't stop eating the damn things. It is like chicken tenders. They melt in your mouth. We make homemade slaw to serve with it. (yes, I put hot sauce in the slaw dressing too, and sometimes I put jalepenos in my slaw after I take some out in a separate dish for Kathy.)LOL

[lrtill]

Clipper - that sounds good the way you describe it and I don't even like fish! It's been a long time since you cooked for me and it sounds like you've only gotten better at it. I myself don't do much cooking anymore as my better half graciously does most of it - and he's pretty good to! I think I still could whip up a pretty good spaghetti sauce if I had too though! Don't know if you have the Cheese Cake Factory rstaurants down there but I had the romano crusted chicken yesterday and it was fabulous! thin slices of breast crusted in romano and parmesan cheese and sauted in butter, served with spaghetti with a sauce to die for. Don't have one here in the Utica area but go there every time I get to Albany or Boston. It is really a fabulous place and as the name suggests the dessert menu is mostly made up of outrageously good - about 20 different flavors - of cheesecake. oops think I felt a few pounds slip on just talking about it!
Bon appetite!

[concerned]

Sounds very good. I was watching the food network on Sunday/ I forgot the particular program but it had to do with cooking fish. Catfish was used and when it was being trimmed the person said that the skin of the catfish must be completely removed because it is not editable. Any one know why?

[Clipper]

I don't know that it is harmful or poisonous Concerned, but catfish or bullhead skin is undesireable to me because it tastes bad. It is tough and has a very bitter and fishy taste.

I sauteed a catfish fillet once with the skin on, and it was terrible. I am a big fan of good fish, but I am funny about the skin. I eat trout, but when I eat the fish I fold back the skin, and carefully slide the meat off the bones. The only time I leave the skin on a fillet while cooking it, is when the fish is of a really flakey nature, and the skin is neccessary to hold the fillet together while cooking and removing from the pan.

The only fish skin I ever can remember eating, was when I used to catch smelt, and fry the little buggers whole, to be eaten bones and all. The small size allowed them to be cleaned with a manicure scissor and dipped in batter to fry whole.

I wish I was up there now, to catch the spring spawning run for bullheads. I used to catch hundreds, and skin them and freeze them to have fish feasts in the summer. I still have a board in the garage, that has a 20 penny nail thru it. I would cut the fins off, clean the guts out, and then whack the fish onto the board, with the nail holding it, while I used two pairs of plyers to pull the skin off like a sock.

The catfish nugget recipe IS delicious Concerned. It could be used to bread and fry whole skinned bullheads also. Soaking in the buttermilk is an important part of developing the flavor and texture of the fish when it is cooked.
Bon Appetite!