(10-23-2024, 11:52 PM)Jmorfish Wrote: tks for the pics and report TD...always appreciated..don't know if I'll be perch jerkin' 'til the ice season, but I did take some advice and added a little more spice to my catfish frying technique, cooked a bit longer than usual, and it turned out way better than before..so I can see why you're good with taking a couple home with you on your outings...good eating..
Always happy to learn of new cat consumption fans. Those fish get a bad rap. But they are almost always available for some tugs, they fight better than most trout and...as you and others have discovered...they are great eating. However, as you have discovered, they do take a bit more cooking than a lot of other fish.
Cats have become my wife's fave fish...even over walleye. One of the ways she likes them best is deep fried in tempura. I trim off the yellow fat on top and bottom of the fillets...and slice off the red flesh. Then I cut the fillets into small 1" pieces...for faster and more even cooking.
I make the tempura batter with 50/50 flour and cornstarch...usually about 1/2 cup each. Add a teaspoon of baking powder, mix and put in the freezer for a couple of hours before mixing and using. You can add salt, pepper and any other seasonings but we usually just season as we take them out of the pan. I make the batter with cold beer. Add a bit at a time and stir until you have a batter. You can also use cold water or seltzer water. Roll the fillet pieces in the batter and drop them into hot peanut oil...375 temp is good. Let cook for about 6-7 minutes...turning with tongs to insure complete cooking. Season and eat. Of course this method works with other fish too, but when you do it with catfish you will never guess it's not a "more glamorous" species when you eat it.
EDIT: Always better when the batter is ice cold. Thinner is better than thicker, since it puffs a bit when cooking. Also, one other ingredient...not essential but a good addition...add a beaten egg just before using the batter.