Catfish is a river fish with a large head and long mustache. Sometimes it reaches enormous sizes. But it is recommended to eat small and medium-sized fish. The meat of large individuals is heavy and fatty in taste.

Butchering catfish is a pleasure compared to other types of fish. It has no bones between the muscles, and no scales. Therefore, to clean it, you just need to scrape off the layer of mucus and mud with a sharp knife. You can remove the skin if you like. It is thick and easy to do. You need to cut the skin around the head, and then pull it down to the tail, like a stocking. To keep your hands from slipping, you can use a tissue or dip your fingers in salt.

Then you should separate the head in the region of the pectoral fins with a sharp knife. Next, you need to gently rip open the stomach and remove the insides. If you are going to cook the liver, it is important not to damage the gallbladder so that it does not taste bitter. Also remove the films from the inner walls of the belly. Then rinse the fish well. Remove the fins by cutting along both sides.

To separate the fillets, cut the meat from head to tail on both sides along the ridge. The fins and head do not need to be thrown away, they will fit perfectly on the ear.

How to cook

If you cook catfish correctly, its meat will be juicy, tender and deliciously tasty. The problem lies in the smell of mud, which is more intense the larger the fish.

There are secrets thanks to which you can cook catfish so that it will not stink.

• Thoroughly peel off the mucus, it is in it that the smell of the swamp lies.
• Marinate fish in dry white wine for 15-20 minutes and then rinse. Lemon juice can also be used instead of wine.
• Milk will help get rid of the smell. Only it will take 3-4 hours.
• Use bay leaves and other suitable herbs. Fragrant spices will leave no room for the scent of mud.
• Serve the meat with the sauce. This will kill off odors.

The most popular cooking method is to simply fry in a skillet. If you fry the fish in chunks, it will take 10 minutes. Fry the fillet in batter for 15 minutes. The fire needs medium. You do not need to cover the pan with a lid.

Why catfish is useful

Catfish is the largest river fish. The tail is the most fatty, high-calorie part of it. One hundred grams of fresh meat contains 143 kcal: 16.8 g of protein and 8.5 g of fat. Catfish meat combines high nutritional value with excellent taste. It also has little connective tissue and the meat is well digested.

Catfish contains many important vitamins:,,, PP, B12, B1, B2, B5, B6,. Trace elements: iodine, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, nickel, fluorine, cobalt, molybdenum, manganese. Macronutrients: sodium, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, calcium, chlorine, phosphorus, potassium.

Catfish is very useful for pregnant women and people with reduced immunity. Its meat is also beneficial for overall health, skin and hair. It is recommended for vision problems, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol.

How to fry catfish in a pan in batter

Catfish in batter is a simple and tasty dish. Cook quickly thanks to the ease of cutting this fish. You can fry both steaks and fillet pieces.

For this dish you will need:

• fish - 600 g;
• egg;
• flour - a couple of spoons;
• two tablespoons of sour cream;
• two tablespoons of mayonnaise;
• some salt.

The fish must be thoroughly washed and cut into pieces no thicker than 2 cm. While preparing the batter, you can marinate the meat or rub it with salt.

For batter, break an egg, add salt, sour cream and mayonnaise. Beat everything with a fork or mixer. Add flour and whisk again.

Dip the pieces of fish into the resulting batter, put on a frying pan heated with oil. Fry until a delicious crust appears on each side for five minutes over medium heat.

There is another interesting recipe - after the batter, dip catfish in sesame seeds. It turns out delicious and unusual. The batter can be cooked in the classic version - in milk. It's more useful this way.

How to fry catfish in a pan in flour

Frying fish in flour is even easier than in batter. Leave the washed chopped fish to marinate. Meanwhile, heat the skillet with vegetable oil. Since the fish is quite oily, you need a little oil.

Pour flour into a large bowl. Dip the pieces of fish in flour, put in a pan. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn over and cook on the other side for the same amount. To remove grease, place the finished fish on a paper towel.

With this cooking method, the meat will not be as juicy and tender. But that won't make it any less tasty; it will get crispy. You can also deep-fry the catfish.

How to cook catfish in a pan with vegetables

I offer a step by step recipe with vegetables. You will need a catfish fillet, a couple of onions, a few tomatoes, flour, spices, and herbs.

Wash the fish, cut and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and leave to soak for a while. Preheat a skillet and place the pieces of fish dusted in flour.

Cut the onions into rings and fry them in a pan. Cut the tomatoes into slices, add them to the onion. Fry the vegetables for a couple of minutes.

Place the cooked fish in a skillet with vegetables. Add a little water and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer until tender, until the water evaporates, over low heat. Sprinkle the finished dish with herbs and serve hot.

What to serve catfish with - sauces

Boiled potatoes, vegetables, rice are well suited as a side dish. You can serve fish with garlic, cheese, creamy sauce. I will share with you the fastest recipes. But no less tasty 🙂

Garlic lemon. Peel the garlic, pass it through a press. Add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and half a teaspoon of olive oil, parsley. The sauce is ready. Pour each piece of fish with it and garnish with a sprig of basil.

Walnut sauce.It turns out very original with such a gravy. For cooking, you need walnuts (glass), 4-5 cloves of garlic, a slice of bread. And also 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar, a glass of water, a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Nuts need to be heated, squeeze pre-soaked bread to them. Squeeze the garlic into the mixture, add vinegar and vegetable oil. Add water and stir the mixture to a moderate consistency. Whip the sauce and place on a dish with the fish.

The following spices will help to complement the taste of catfish meat:

• nutmeg;
• basil;
• oregano;
• melissa;
• bay leaf.

Catfish is a very nutritious and healthy fish that can be used to prepare many delicious dishes. Choose one or more of the interesting and uncomplicated recipes presented in the article.

Catfish preparation

First you need to prepare the catfish. He has no scales, which makes the process easier. But the fish has mucus-covered skin. To remove it and the smell, rub the carcass on all sides with coarse salt, and then rinse thoroughly in warm water.

How to cook?

How can you cook a delicious catfish fish? There are a lot of ways, and some are considered below.

Method number 1

An interesting and tasty catfish can be baked in the oven. And this cooking method requires the following products:

• 1 medium sized catfish;
• onion head;
• half a glass of cream;
• 100-120 grams of hard cheese;
• favorite spices, salt to taste.

Recipe description:

1. Washed and gutted catfish should be cut into slices or steaks.
2. Peel the onion, cut into rings or half rings.
3. To prevent anything from burning, line the baking sheet with foil. For reinsurance, you can grease it with vegetable oil, but the catfish itself will release fat during the cooking process.
4. Rub the pieces of catfish with seasonings, salt and put on foil. Place the onion on top, sprinkle it with pre-grated cheese and pour the cream evenly over it.
5. It remains for about 45 minutes to send the baking sheet to the oven preheated to 180. During this time, the fish will be cooked and soaked in cream, and the cheese will melt and brown a little.

Method number 2

If you love Korean savory snacks, then this recipe will definitely suit your taste. Prepare ingredients from the list:

• medium catfish carcass;
• three tablespoons of soy sauce;
• carrot;
• onion head;
• 0.5 liters of carbonated mineral water;
• 1 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
• a pinch of coriander;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. 70% acetic acid;
• ground pepper (determine the amount yourself, taking into account the desired pungency).

Instructions:

1. After gutting and cutting, separate the catfish from the bones, and cut the peeled fillet with a sharp knife into long thin slices or cubes. The peel can be cut off if desired.
2. Or cut the carrots with a special knife for Korean snacks, or grate them on a coarse grater. After peeling, cut the onion into thin half rings.
3. Combine carrots and onions with ground pepper and soy sauce, mix well.
4. Make a marinade. To do this, simply mix mineral soda water with vinegar, sugar, coriander and salt. Stir everything until the dry ingredients are completely dissolved.
5. Put chopped vegetables with fish in a bowl, fill with marinade, stir vigorously and put oppression on top.
6. Send the container for 4-5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, and then take out and taste the snack.

Method number 3

The classic and extremely simple option is fried fish. And catfish is the best suited for this method of heat treatment. And you need a few ingredients:

• catfish (approximately two kilogram carcass);
• two to three tablespoons of lemon juice;
• five tablespoons of vegetable or butter;
• about 80-90 grams of bread crumbs;
• spices with salt - to your taste.

Process description:

1. Cut the pre-prepared catfish into pieces approximately 3 centimeters thick, sprinkle each with lemon juice, rub with spices and salt and leave to marinate for ten to fifteen minutes.
2. Pour the breadcrumbs into a bowl and heat the oil in a skillet.
3. Now take pieces of catfish one by one, roll them in breadcrumbs on all sides and fry in a pan over medium heat on each side until they are clearly browned.
4. And to make the catfish juicier and softer, and also cook inside, reduce the heat to a minimum and now extinguish it under the lid for literally five minutes.

Method number 4

Well, very tasty and satisfying cutlets are obtained from catfish. And for their preparation you will need:

• 800 g catfish fillet;
• large potato;
• large onion;
• three cloves of garlic;
• five arrows of green onions;
• a bunch of any fresh greens;
• flour for frying (how much will go away);
• 20 ml lemon juice;
• seasoning (for example, special for fish or universal, but you can do without it);
• salt.

Preparation:

1. Chop the catfish fillet. If you decide to do this in a meat grinder, then use a nozzle with large holes so that the pulp does not come out smooth (the cutlets will spread). But you can chop fillets with a sharp knife or chop them in a blender, but not too much.
2. Finely chop the onion, or you can also chop it together with the catfish.
3. Peel the potatoes and grate them raw, sprinkle with lemon juice to avoid browning.
4. Wash greens with onions, shake off, dry and chop: the smaller, the better.
5. Combine minced fish with potatoes, chopped green onions and herbs, chopped herbs, salt and seasonings. Use your hands to bring the mass to a dense, homogeneous consistency.
6. Heat oil in a skillet.
7. Form medium-sized cutlets from minced meat, roll them in flour and fry on both sides. And to preserve juiciness after frying, you can continue braising under the lid for ten minutes.

Method number 5

Another option for delicious fish in the oven is catfish with mushrooms and potatoes in pots under edible lids. You will need the following components for six pots:

• 1 kg of catfish fillet;
• 2 onions;
• 700-1000 g potatoes;
• 500 grams of mushrooms, such as oyster mushrooms, porcini or champignons;
• 1.5 cups medium fat sour cream;
• 60 ml vegetable oil (you can use olive oil);
• three tablespoons of lemon juice;
• 4 tbsp. l. wheat flour;
• three cloves of garlic;
• a bunch of fresh dill;
• salt.

Ingredients for dough lids:

• two and a half glasses of flour;
• 1 tsp fast dry yeast;
• 3 tbsp. l. butter or vegetable oil;
• a teaspoon of sugar and salt;
• egg.

Instructions:

1. Do the dough first so it can come up in time. Add sugar with butter, salt and yeast to warm water. Then add flour in portions, knead the dough of medium density, which does not stick to the work surface and hands. Leave the finished dough for half an hour, covered with a napkin.
2. Wash the catfish thoroughly and sprinkle with lemon juice to remove the characteristic river smell. Cut it, roll it in flour and quickly fry it in oil.
3. Fry the mushrooms after washing until soft or cook.
4. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water.
5. Chop the garlic and herbs.
6. Put potatoes with catfish and mushrooms, as well as herbs with garlic in pots. Sprinkle everything with salt.
7. Stir in flour and a little salt in sour cream, pour the rest of the products in the pots with this sauce.
8. Cover the containers with dough cakes, grease them with an egg.
9. Send the pots to the oven at 180 degrees for an hour.

Choose a recipe and enjoy the delicious catfish dishes.

Fish dishes are regularly found on the table of every family. Usually those types of fish that can be found in the nearest store are prepared: pelengas, pike perch, cod. But sometimes, on occasion, something unusual can fall into the hands of the hostess. For example, catfish. And then there are difficulties with its preparation. Most cooks prefer to bake this fish. However, in our opinion, fried catfish is tastier. The recipes for cooking in a frying pan are quite varied, so you can easily pick something to your liking.

Catfish is a peculiar fish. Its meat is dense. And if you cook illiterately, it will seem at the table that there is a washcloth in your mouth, and not fried catfish. The recipe (any of the ones below) and its observance will ensure that such a nuisance does not happen to you. And all eaters will be pleased with your concoction.

Fried catfish: the simplest recipe

This fish often has a muddy smell. And the larger the carcass, the more pronounced it is. To prevent this disadvantage from being preserved, the fried advises to marinate it. To do this, the fish is gutted, washed, dried, rubbed with salt and spices and left covered for half an hour. Then each piece is rolled in flour and placed in a well-heated frying pan. Fry the catfish until golden brown, about ten minutes on each side. Before serving, hold the fish on a paper towel to remove excess fat.

Catfish in batter

If you provide the fish with an additional "fur coat", you get a very tender and fragrant catfish fried in a pan. The recipe assumes the same initial actions as in the first recipe: the carcass is washed, dried, cut and seasoned. While the oil is heated in a frying pan, an egg is beaten in a bowl - it is enough for half a kilogram of fish. Flour is poured into a flat plate. Each slice of catfish fillet is dipped in an egg, and then rolled in flour. This procedure must be repeated three times. Then the fish is sent to the pan. Due to the formed "shell", you need to fry it less, for five minutes on each side.

Catfish with tomatoes

If you add tomatoes to the list of ingredients, you get just delicious fried catfish. The recipe suggests acting according to this algorithm.

1. The fish is handled accordingly. If you have it frozen, take it out ahead of time: with intensive defrosting (in the microwave or under running water), the catfish meat becomes loose and sluggish.
2. Portions are sprinkled with spices and salt and left for at least five minutes to saturate with aromas.
3. A piece of butter is melted in a frying pan. Fillet rolled in flour is fried in it until cooked.
4. Five medium tomatoes (the amount is indicated per pound of fish) are peeled. Cut them into neat circles.
5. Two onions are chopped into rings. They are stewed in olive oil until transparent, after which tomatoes are placed in the pan.
6. After five minutes of joint frying, fillet is added to the vegetables and water is poured in - no more than a quarter of a glass. The dish will be stewed under the lid, until the liquid is almost completely evaporated.

Fish prepared according to this recipe is eaten hot and sprinkled with herbs. If you wish, you can prepare a side dish for it - rice or mashed potatoes.

Holiday recipe

If your catfish is intended for a festive table, it makes sense to tinker a little longer, but bring its taste to the ideal. And for this you need to pickle the cut carcass in a special composition. For him, the onion and three to four garlic cloves are peeled and passed through a blender. Two tablespoons of soy sauce and one of good vodka are poured into the gruel. Salt and paprika are added to suit your tastes. Each piece of fish is carefully coated with this mixture; the slices are folded into a container that closes and hides in the refrigerator for an hour.

The last step will be frying. In front of him, the slices are sprinkled with flour very carefully so that the mixture in which they were pickled does not fall off. It is also necessary to fry carefully: breading is almost the tastiest thing in a dish. When served, the catfish is garnished with parsley twigs, thin lemon slices, pink peppercorns, and red onion rings.

The best sauce for catfish

Even simple fried fish will be incredibly tasty if you put a gravy boat with special gravy next to the plate. Fresh ginger is rubbed for her; his shavings will need a teaspoon. A garlic clove and fresh hot pepper are pounded in a mortar. How much pepper to take, decide for yourself: the degree of pungency is a personal matter. Two tablespoons of chopped herbs are added to the spice mixture (dill and parsley are required, the rest must be imagined by yourself), a spoonful of liquid honey, half of lemon juice and four tablespoons of sour cream. Sour cream can be replaced with low-fat natural yogurt. The sauce is salted and removed for infusion in the cold.

If you come across a giant from a whirlpool, do not rack your brains over how to cook it: let fried catfish decorate your table. The photo recipes will surely convince you to taste this mouth-watering fish.

The classic catfish is a large predator reaching a meter in length. But in the south of Russia and in Ukraine there are small bottom catfish, only 35 cm long. So they are the most delicious. Large fish have a rather tough meat with a specific smell, so only cutlets, pie fillings, pies can be prepared from them.

Preliminary instructions

Before you cook catfish , it is necessary to clean and gut it. This fish has no scales, only mucus on the skin. To remove it (and this must be done, otherwise the dish will stink of swamp mud), rub the carcass with coarse salt. Then open the abdomen, remove the gills and entrails, cut off the tail, head and fins. Rub the inside well with salt and then rinse thoroughly. Cut large fish into portions. Drizzle with lemon juice.

What do we need to stock up on to cook catfish?

This is a fatty fish, so it shouldn't go too much oil. But it has a strong smell, and therefore it is necessary not to spare spices, bay leaves and other fragrant herbs in order to discourage the “aroma of the swamp”. Let's not forget about lemon juice, which will make the tender white meat even more delicate. Cutlets are made from catfish, they are fried in a pan, baked in the oven, stewed, stuffed, barbecued and even smoked on a balyk.

How to cook catfish in a pan?

This is the easiest and fastest way to cook fish. Grate portions with salt, sprinkle with pepper, roll in flour breading and fry on both sides in a little vegetable oil. Serve on the table with lemon slices. But you can choose a more complex recipe: in double batter. In one bowl, mix the flour and salt, and in the second, the egg and salt (ice cream). Dip each piece of catfish in flour, dip in ice cream, then again in flour. Then spread on well-heated vegetable oil and fry until golden brown.

How to cook catfish in the oven?

Pieces of fish need to be rubbed with salt and spices, each wrapped in foil and sent to the oven for half an hour (the temperature should be 200-220 degrees). If you come across a small catfish, and you decide to bake it whole, then you can stuff it with herbs (parsley, dill, basil), lemon slices. You can also try this option: stuff the belly with ready-made buckwheat porridge mixed with stewed carrots. Wrap the fish with foil so as not to dry out, bake in the oven at 200 C for 40-50 minutes.

How to cook catfish baked in sour cream

First, salt and pepper the portioned pieces, roll in flour and lightly fry. Then fry the onion rings until golden brown. We spread the carcass in a deep frying pan, pour with sour cream, sprinkle with onion rings. We bake in the oven at 180 C for half an hour. The sour cream should boil away, and the catfish should be covered with a delicate crispy crust.

How to cook catfish for barbecue

This fatty fish can be marinated overnight to make a delicious kebab. To do this, you can take the tail, fillet or a whole catfish, peel, cut into pieces. Season with salt, generously sprinkle with lemon juice (one lemon per kilogram of fish). Add a glass of white wine to the lemon juice and leave. On skewers we put on pieces of fish, alternating them with slices of bell pepper and rings of a little pickled onion.

The predatory inhabitant of fresh water bodies is distinguished by the absence of scales, very tender meat and a minimum amount of bones. Catfish recipes are full of variety of ingredients and cooking ideas. The high-calorie fillet of this fish is good in itself. However, in combination with a side dish of potatoes or friable rice, its taste will sparkle in a new way. Sprinkle the dish before serving with lemon juice and sprinkle with fragrant parsley, and your household will shower you with the most flattering compliments.

Catfish are most commonly found in recipes with these five foods:

Catfish is also excellent for diet food. Baked in foil or steamed, it is quickly absorbed, but saturates the body with the necessary micro and macro elements. Catfish balyk is considered a delicacy. Golden elastic meat with a delicate jerky aftertaste will make you eat every last slice with pleasure. Lovers of outdoor recreation will be surprised by the speed of preparation and the incomparable taste of catfish kebab. Marinate pieces of fish in a mixture of fennel, parsley, sage and lemon juice, and then even the most skilled chef will not distinguish catfish from sturgeon fish!