Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss 101 Uses for a Dead Fish

Help, my husband just presented me with another dead fish. He presented it with the same proud gleam in his eyes that the dog had in hers the other morning in the barn, when she presented me with a bat she caught. I tried to not react the same way, but it was difficult. I can cook sun fish, bass, perch, venison, squirrel, and the rabbit he thinks he needs to shoot from a distance of twelve feet away because he's hunting with a twelve gauge, but how can I prepare the fillets from a 6 pound channel cat and get my family to eat them??? These lovely white fillets have absolutely no flavor. Does anyone have any favorite recipes for channel cat that they are willing to share?

I had catfish marinated in Italian Dressing the other day. I cooked it in a cast iron skillet with the skin left on. I started with the skin side down and then pulled it off when I flipped it over.

Last Monday night my wife fixed fillets from a 7 lbs 6 oz CC and they were really good. She cut them into strips, so all the meat would be the same thickness for even cooking, marinated them in olive oil with some seasonings (blackened stuff?), and then wrapped them in bacon strips and grilled them over charcoal. The kids and I really enjoyed them and she even had 2 or 3 pieces herself.

Fish Wife, have you ever tried cooking groundhog? Maybe while being a couple of months pregnant?

What a story of love!

That sounds like some crazy-good catfish. I'm a coming to Ohio real soon!

Fish Wife, The internet can provide countless recipes for catfish. Perhaps you could be a little more supportive your husband and dog by cleaning and cooking what they bring home. You seem to have the erroneous belief that your husband and dog actually enjoy hunting and fishing while they are only determined to be good providers by putting meat on the table to feed their families. Imagine the cold and rain that they must endure while less devoted husbands and dogs prefer to be sitting around the house watching TV with their wives. Consider the good fortune in having such unselfish providers willing to sacrifice hours of their time hunting and fishing. Many wives would envy you.

Dear Dudley,

I put a prime polled hereford steer and a hog in the freezer for the poor, unappreciated husband and dog every year. Ask him who handles feeding out the livestock, hauling it to the butcher, and hauling the meat to the basement freezer.

I know you can find recipes on the internet, I just want to find recipes that are good enough to prepare for my husband without subjecting him to experimental cooking.

The many envious wives can bid on him at the next Pond Boss Conference silent auction.

I have a feeling this post is going to get moderated.

Moderated? Not a chance. This is turning into fun.

Go ahead. Use Dud as a target. It's OK.

No need to get testy, Fish Wife.
I applaud your being a capable helpmate in taking up the slack while your husband nurses his painful knees and wrists, to say nothing of the hypothermia created by those selfless hours of hunting and fishing.
Do not be reluctant to experiment with new recipes. Many of them could easily put catfish on par with owl, egret, monkey and, of course, groundhog.
Should you become as nasty with your husband as you have been to my mild-mannered self, he'll probably happily enter his own name in the silent auction.
Dave, would you kindly do your moderating magic? I think I'm about to get my butt whupped by Fish Wife.

Nope Dud, you're on your own. You have gone to the trouble of painting concentric circles on yourself with a nice red 10x in the middle.

Couldn't happen to a nicer, more deserving guy.

That doesn't add up to me, Fish Wife didn't you say you were a country girl from Alabama?? You mean to tell me you don't know how to cook catfish and you are from Alabama??? That just don't make no kind of sense.

In any case I would try Theos recipe, sounds tasty, the bacon can't hurt either. If a fish doesn't have subtle enough flavor to carry itself deep fried in cornbread and flour with a dash of lemon pepper I won't likely eat it.

Another great recipe the wife and I eat a lot is to bake fish breaded with crushed up barbecue potato chips and bake in a glass pan with a couple tablespoons of butter, something like 350 for 40 minutes. I think it's the best baked fish I have ever eaten.

I would guess Catfish make great fish patties too. My recipe for them is also a favortie of mine, it has worked with trout and salmon as well as Northern pike, makes tasty patties but it is a bit more work than just frying, baking, or grilling.

fishwife = from Alabama, currently in Indiana
Fish Wife = from Ohio, currently in Ohio

It is tricky, JoeG. I am terribly worried I will sleep with the wrong one.

Not as worried as they are.

I grew up fishing in Lake Erie in the 60's and 70's, back when the Cuyahoga River use to catch fire frequently. Dad would never, ever, let us eat catfish. So maybe there's a little mental block over fixing cats for our family. I know the ones from are pond eat a way different diet (Aquamax 600), but I still see Dad explaining how they're the garbage eaters of the lake. Now that I think of it, maybe I need to add some seasoning to the Aquamax.

I like the barbecue potato chips idea. Theo's doctor says I need to cut back on serving him bacon, kinda cancels out the omega 3's.

Bacon:
Mmmmmmm Bacon. Heck Brussel Sprouts even taste fairly good wrapped in bacon. When DIED forced me to eat some BS (that's Brussel Sprouts NOT the "other" BS) last Thanksgiving they were wrapped in bacon and were pretty good.

Catfish strips:
That's the method that was used at Lusk Lodge 2. Catfish cut into small strips, breaded and fried in peanut oil (I think it was peanut oil). Very tasty.

Theo up for auction:
If Theo goes up for auction I'd bid on him (not for use as a husband that would be just be too weird) but heck who couldn't use a rocket scientist around the house. Besides the GSA could use some technical expertise with it's Intercontinential Ballistic Missle Program - we have found that the diet coke and mentos propellant system has it's limitations. I'm assuming of course that Theo's music collection would come with him.

Fish Wife, you sound like a great sport. I hope you'll make it to the next conference (and of course let Theo come as well).

The Theo private auction prize should ensure that only a one-way ticket is required to get the prize there. The savings can be spent on catfish meal.
-
...smart; very smart

Ooops, sorry If I offended due to my corn-fusion.

Theo, DUDE< You NEED a new doctor!!!!!

Last night, Fish Wife fixed the fillets from an 8 pound CC with the BBQ potato chips. I really liked it - tender fresh fish with crunchy flat thingies on top. Kind of a redneck trout almondine.

There was a good one I tried off a bag of Durkee onions (the kind that goes on green bean casserole)

Dip fillets in egg wash (egg with a few tablespoons of water)
Roll fillets in crushed onions
Bake at 425 on foil lined cookie sheet, turing once, until done (8-12 minutes)

Easy, tasty, almost as good as deep fried without the mess.

try this one too:

soak fillets or strips in Lowry's brand teriyaki marinade for at least an hour.

place marinated fish in alum. foil, close up foil, put on gas grill or bake in oven at 400 deg.....time depends on fillet thickness.....a typical trout fillet cooks in 20 minutes, catfish maybe 30 to 40 minutes.

remove cooked fish, put on plate, and dribble some pure maple syrup to taste......enjoy....its good trust me. taste like its been smoked.