Southern Catfish Recipes

Catfish Dishes Out of the Carolinas

Three delicious recipes for catfish out of the Carolinas.

Channel catfish fillets are widely available in grocery stores throughout the USA, while most flathead and blue catfish eaten are wild caught out of ponds, lakes, and rivers. Of the three, channel catfish have the more mild taste.

Eaten-size channel cats are also stocked in North Carolina public ponds by the state government. There is a similar popular catfish stocking program in New Jersey, and in other states as well.

Wild caught and farm-raised catfish are served fried in many southern restaurants, while restaurants in the Mississippi River states often have more varied catfish dishes. Inland seafood stores in the Carolinas and Georgia often have fresh catfish available, as do markets in the lower southern states.

Cape Fear Barbecued Catfish

4 large flathead or blue catfish fillets
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons steak sauce (like A-1)
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon each Cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic salt
4 tablespoons hot sauce

Mix all ingredients except catfish into a bowl. Brush fillets liberally with sauce. Grill over high heat, basting with sauce, for 4 minutes. Flip fish and grill 4 more minutes or until fish is done. Serves 2, great with mashed potatoes and corn-on-the-cob.

Kid's Favorite Catfish

3 channel catfish fillets
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
dash each black pepper, Cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt
milk
olive oil

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Combine flour, cornmeal, and spices in a shallow dish and mix. Dip fillets in milk and then dredge through flour mixture coating fish thoroughly and evenly. Fry fillets in hot olive oil for 4 minutes, turn and fry 3 minutes or until fish is done. Drain on paper towels and serve. Serves 3.

Carolina Catfish and Mushrooms

2 channel catfish fillets
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup each chopped onion and red pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon black pepper
olive oil