How to remove the fish taste out of catfish?

dipbait

dipbait

Joined
Feb 9, 2008
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A friend of mine is trying his luck on living off the land. Hes selling stuff from his garden and has a commercial fishing license. So I bought several lbs of frozen channels cat fillets from him. Catfish is one of my least favorite fish , too strong. These come out of the Mississippi and I will trim them up before frying them. Do any of you have a good way of making catfish more mild tasting?
 
Soak the cleaned or filleted fish overnight in a gallon of water and I think 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Be sure to remove any dark meat when cleaning. Some people use malt vinegar for the soak. My local commercial fisherman uses a clear cold spring to clean out his live Tennessee River catfish. I think he leaves them in there for two or three days. They don't have a muddy taste at all.
 
Bowman1911 said:
Salt & Pepper them bad boys just the way they are!
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NO! LOL

Im trimming any meat that isnt white and soaking them. I want them to taste like bass fillets. I have to help my buddy out and buy fish from him but my family has to like it.
 
Frozen?!
tsk... tsk...

;) :)

The milk soak gets many nods from people that don't like the fishy fish or gamey taste of our saltwater bluefish.

Trim off the dark meat, cut into nuggets, soak in milk overnight.
Pat them dry make up some beer batter and fry them up.

Shoot, beer batter a dish rag, fry it up and it'll be good :) :D

Good on ya for helping a bud out.
 
You might also try flavorful recipes like Cajun blackening or fry with spicy batter dip to further reduce the muddy taste. I prefer Zatarains blackening seasoning, adding melted butter and lemon juice when blackening. Do it outside on a grille or camp stove though unless you have one heck of a stove hood. The smoke is like spraying mace in the house. Be sure to get it nearly burnt looking. It takes a really hot skillet to do it quickly. But the flavor when done will make your tongue slap your ears trying to get at it!

20h8z95.jpg
 
Catfish is one of my favorite fish. I never freeze it, kill and clean it as soon as it leaves the water. I throw it in an ice bath untill I get home them throw it in milk for a few hours. Pam fry or cook it on the grill with salt&red pepper flake.
 
Yes, that blackened fish really does look amazing. I am going to try that sometime too.
 
dipbait said:
Codger , Im gonna try that.
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I've done it with a variety of fish. I first tried it with grouper. Then bass, crappie, red snapper, flounder, monkfish, catfish, tilapia. I've not found one yet that it doesn't work well with. By the way, if you can find it, the Kroger brand ( I chit you not) blackening spice is about as good and cheaper usually. Use whatever spice very liberally as some will stick to the pan or grill and some will burn into a crust. And baste with the juices mentioned to keep the insides moist. Just avoid the smoke. You can serve them up with Cajun sides like broiled (or blackened) shrimp, red beans and rice, or a good bowl of gumbo and some boudan.
 
dipbait said:
A friend of mine is trying his luck on living off the land. Hes selling stuff from his garden and has a commercial fishing license. So I bought several lbs of frozen channels cat fillets from him. Catfish is one of my least favorite fish , too strong. These come out of the Mississippi and I will trim them up before frying them. Do any of you have a good way of making catfish more mild tasting?
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Fish caught in big rivers in the summer will have a stronger taste to them. Anyone who is on the fence about liking fish is apt to not like it no matter but to me I eat fish because I like a fishy taste. Now if you mean it has a river taste that is muddy or however you describe it the buttermilk soak overnight helps. For a coating I use lots of spices in a batter coating or cornmeal dredge. I especially like cayenne pepper in my cornmeal coating and sprinkle malt vinegar and hot sauce on the final fried fish at the plate. Maybe your friend will raise and sell you some good broiler chickens, they won't taste fishy. Anyhow, commercial fishing is tough work, I hope he can make it doing that.
 
Stuff it with your favorite vegetables, sear it in a pan, finish it in the oven. But if the taste is still there definetely try the blackening it's fantastic.
 
I would add some crystal or texas pete hot sauce to the buttermilk. Then bread or batter and fry - add more hot sauce or cayenne to that also. Serve with remoulade - which also has hot sauce.

If you really don't like it, make fish cakes. Soak it in fairly salty water for 10-15 mins, drain, then poach it in milk. Once cooked, drain and crumble the fish, add panko bread crumbs, an egg or two and some diced peppers and onions cooked in butter. Form into little cakes or patties and bake / fry / broil. (your choice) serve with lemon and tartar sauce - maybe on a bun with lettuce and tomato. This type of process will take almost all the flavor out of almost anything.

Tony Chachere is a good, widely available cajun seasoning.
 
Got this from food tv the other day. Buttermilk and sriracha, simple salt&pepper flour then fry and make sammich's with tartar sauce and romane lettuce.

The recipe is for fryed oyster sammich's but should work great with catfish. I'm going to buy 30-50 oysters Friday for bar night at my buddy's ill let y'all know how it turns out.
 
We always slit the gills and bleed out Salmon right after we catch them when we plan to eat them. Ive always heard that it helps keep down a real fishy taste. Might work with Catfish?
 
rub all the silver off the inside - that's what makes it fishy tasting.
soak overnight in milk, buttermilk, or beer - that takes the muddy flavor out.
batter, fry, blacken, grill, or smoke. (5+ pounders left bone in and smoked w/fruitwood are heavenly!)
 
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