Catfish is a treacherous fish. It is tasty and healthy, but it is not always possible for everyone to prepare it in the usual way: sometimes only an incomprehensible something remains in the frying pan, which two minutes ago was a fish, so many housewives go to various lengths to preserve the shape of the catfish - throw it into boiling water, fry in flour in hot oil and so on. But in fact, all this is not necessary, there are only two rules that are worth remembering. First, when buying catfish, try to choose fish with a spotted, rather than blue, skin—their meat is denser. Second, follow this recipe: the catfish turns out amazing, although you can cook any white fish the same way if you want.

World's best catfish

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Cut the fillet into portions - for this you can take a ready-made fillet, or you can buy a thick catfish steak and cut it at home, removing the bones and skin. Combine water and sugar, stir until completely dissolved, dip the catfish fillet in the brine and leave it there for half an hour. This technique allows you to get a juicier fish, and in the case of catfish, it also makes its meat denser. After removing the catfish from the brine, rinse it under running water to remove the salt from the surface of the fish, and pat dry with paper towels.

Fish, especially sea fish, is always healthy and, as a rule, tasty. Especially in the case when you cook and/or eat a product that has been familiar for a long time, well studied and tasted to its nuances. This is why most housewives (let’s be honest, and chefs in restaurants too!) prefer to deal with the same types of fish and not take risks with others. But what if you break the established tradition and cook something new? For example, catfish. This fish from the northern seas is famous for its excellent taste and capricious nature in cooking. For a true chef, it is simply a matter of honor and a challenge that he must answer by learning how to cook a delicious catfish steak. Join us!

Catfish: composition, benefits and features
Catfish is an inhabitant of cold sea waters, which, before being eaten on your table, itself ate a lot of fish, mollusks and crustaceans. Like all perciformes, this rather large fish (body length up to one and a half meters) is a predator, and it uses its large front teeth, which gave rise to its name, as a weapon and a tool for splitting the shells of sea inhabitants. Such nutrition and harsh living conditions made catfish a nutritious and very useful product for humans. It has few bones, and the fillet is white in color, has a sweetish taste and contains about 18% easily digestible protein. There are no carbohydrates in it at all, and fats are represented by valuable unsaturated fatty acids omega-3, for which fish oil is taken in food. The energy value of catfish fillet is about 120 kcal/100g, and in terms of nutritional value it can be easily compared with salmon. It is no coincidence that the French are considered big fans of catfish dishes. They call this fish nothing more than sea wolf and are happy to cook it at home and order it in restaurants.

Catfish should be included in your diet simply because it contains a lot of vitamins A, D, E, PP, group B, pantothenic and nicotinic acid. Sodium, potassium, iodine, phosphorus, calcium, cobalt - all these microelements are necessary for the construction and normal functioning of human tissues and organs. Eating catfish helps strengthen the immune system, gain strength after illness and recover from injuries. Athletes include it in their menu for muscle development, and young women for weight loss. In all cases, catfish fillet provides the body with a balanced amount of nutrients and maintains optimal metabolic rate. However, it does not enjoy deserved popularity and is well known only to a small circle of gourmets. The reason is the certain complexity of preparing catfish. Its white meat is tender and quite loose. Not everyone can cook catfish fillet so that it retains its shape. But that shouldn't put you off the idea of ​​making catfish steak at home. After all, as you know, the wolf is not as scary as it is painted - and it is not as difficult to fry a sea wolf as is commonly believed.

Catfish fillet steak recipes
Most of those who want to cook catfish fillet at home for the first time face the same problem. Internet resources and thematic media offer a wide variety of recipes, but it is extremely rare among them to find a description of the preparation of catfish steak. Instead, catfish is offered to be baked, stewed, boiled in soup and used as a filling for pies. Of course, it’s much easier to cook it in this form, because you don’t have to worry about maintaining the shape and appearance of the fish. But we still suggest that you don’t take the simplest route, try and make a catfish steak using one of these methods:

1. Catfish steak in a frying pan. Take two catfish steaks of the same size, flour, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper, and refined vegetable oil to grease the pan. Mix salt and pepper, rub the fish with this mixture and put in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then grease the frying pan with oil and heat it up. Dredge the catfish steaks in plenty of flour. Place them in a frying pan and fry on one side over medium heat without a lid until a thick golden crust forms on the bottom. Turn the fish over and fry on the second side until done. Then remove the pan from the heat, but leave the steaks in it for 5-10 minutes. During this time they will cool down a little, and this will help maintain the shape of the dish when serving.
   
2. Catfish steak in the oven on a bed of vegetables. Take 3 catfish steaks, 2 medium tomatoes, 2 carrots, juice of one large lemon, 1 leek, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Mix salt and pepper, rub the fish with it, pour in lemon juice and put in the refrigerator for half an hour. Meanwhile, grate the carrots on a coarse grater, chop the leeks and tomatoes into small pieces. Grease a frying pan with butter, heat and simmer the vegetables until soft. Grease a heat-resistant baking dish with vegetable oil and place vegetables on the bottom in an even layer. Remove the steaks and place them on top of the vegetables. Heat the oven to 190-200°C. Cover the pan with vegetables and fish with parchment or foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
   
3. Boiled catfish steak. Take two catfish steaks, 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of sea salt and dried basil. Pour water into a deep saucepan, add salt and put on fire. Crush the garlic and place in water along with the basil. When the water boils, add the stacks, reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Cook until done for 15-20 minutes. Remove the steaks from the broth using a slotted spoon.
   
4. Catfish steak in foil. Take about 300 grams of catfish fillet, 2 large carrots, 150 grams of hard cheese, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon of refined vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Peel the onion and cut into half rings. Grate the carrots. Grease a frying pan with oil and fry the vegetables until soft. Mix salt and pepper and rub the fish with them. Then place the stack in the middle of a large piece of foil and cover with vegetables on top. Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the vegetables. Close the foil and place in the oven, preheated to 200°C. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat, after another 10 minutes, remove the finished fish from the oven.
   
5. Catfish steak in a slow cooker. Take 2 catfish steaks, about 300 grams each, 50 ml of milk, 3 tablespoons of flour, 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of refined vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Mix salt and pepper and rub the fish with them. Place in a bowl. Beat the egg with milk and pour over the catfish. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour. After this time, pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl and turn it on for 3 minutes in the “baking” mode. Mix flour with breadcrumbs, roll fish in this mixture. Place the steaks in the oil heated in the multicooker and continue cooking in the same mode until a golden brown crust forms. Then turn the steaks over to the other side and cook until done.
   

Catfish steak prepared using any of these methods goes well with a side dish of mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. It can be supplemented with a slice of lemon and/or chopped herbs. And, if you followed the cooking method, you will get a juicy and tasty steak even from a frozen fillet, not to mention a fresh one. In addition, the type of fish plays a role. If you have a choice, then give preference to striped or spotted catfish, the fillets of which retain their shape better than those of other breeds. And with this, in general, the secrets of cooking catfish are exhausted. So you will surely get an appetizing and beautiful steak. Good luck and bon appetit!

Catfish is a healthy fish in all respects, with juicy meat. You can lose these advantages if you don’t know how to properly cook catfish so that it doesn’t fall apart and delights you with its delicate taste. The fish has truly amazingly tender meat. At the same time, this has become a real problem for ignorant housewives, since it loses its shape during heat treatment. Hence the need to know some of the nuances of frying in a pan and baking in the oven.

Interesting! Due to its terrifying appearance, the fish has a second name - sea wolf.

How to cook delicious catfish

In industrial fishing, three types of catfish are caught: spotted, striped, and blue. Typically, blue catfish are offered for sale. It is the most useful, dishes made from it are much tastier. Usually the fish is processed directly on the ships and is sold frozen.

• If you want to preserve all the beneficial properties, defrost the fish in natural conditions. Do not fill with water or microwave. Place first on the top shelf of the refrigerator unit. Then move it to the kitchen table.
• To protect pieces of fish from losing their shape, roll them in breading, cook in batter, and bake in the oven. You can also fry without losing quality, but you need to know some secrets.
• Chop coarsely and the fish will retain its appearance.
• When frying, do not cover the pan and heat the oil thoroughly.

Catfish fried in a frying pan so it doesn't fall apart

Keep the simplest recipe for frying fish. It is advisable to use a grill pan.

Take:

• Catfish steaks.
• Flour.
• Ready-made fish spices.

How to give:

1. Cut the fish into steaks. The thickness of the piece should be at least 3-5 cm. Be sure to dry the fish.
2. Pepper the fish, let it stand for 20 minutes (do not add salt, this is the secret that the catfish will not fall apart).
3. To prevent the pieces from falling apart, be sure to heat the oil very hot. Then sprinkle with salt. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan, allowing you to easily turn the pieces over and maintain their integrity. And the oil will not splash.
4. Dip in flour and fry on one side over high heat. Salt the steaks here.
5. Turn the fish over. Fry until done over moderate heat. After frying, leave the fish to stand for 10-15 minutes.

Catfish - recipe in the oven with potatoes

A very popular recipe for preparing healthy fish, baked at the same time as potatoes. It has a solemn appearance, you can safely include it in the holiday menu. Use the quantity of ingredients at your discretion; there is nothing difficult to prepare.

You will need:

• Catfish steaks.
• Carrot.
• Potato.
• Bulb.
• Lemon.
• Mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs, spices (you can take it in a bag for fish).

How to bake in the oven:

1. Thaw the fish, remove the backbone and head, and divide into fillets. Cut into portions.
2. Dry the pieces, rub with a mixture of lemon juice and spices. Marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Grate the carrots, chop the onion into rings.
4. Make a filling of mayonnaise, sour cream and chopped herbs.
5. Cut the peeled potatoes into beautiful rounds. Rub the cheese with shavings.
6. Place foil in the pan. Place the potato slices down and make a pillow. Salt the layer.
7. Sprinkle with carrot shavings, then onion rings. Re-arrange the potato layer.
8. Sprinkle with mayonnaise sauce. Place the catfish stacks. Cover with foil and bake at 200 o C. Cooking time 25-30 minutes.
9. When the time is up, remove the foil and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven for a quarter of an hour. When a golden brown crust appears, take it out.

Attention! Seafood is rightfully considered a dietary product. Calorie content of fish per 100 g. weight 120 kcal.

Catfish soup – video recipe

Catfish in the oven in foil - recipe with rice

Catfish, like other seafood, goes well with rice. The dish you prepare according to this recipe will resemble oriental cuisine.

Required:

• Catfish, steaks.
• Sesame seeds.
• Lemon.
• Carrot.
• Bulb.
• Pepper mixture, salt.

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Thaw the fish, cut into steaks. Pat with a paper towel to remove moisture.
2. Sprinkle pepper, salt, and distribute throughout the piece. Sprinkle with lemon. Place on the refrigerator shelf to marinate. After half an hour you can start baking.
3. At the same time, let the rice cook.
4. Place half a sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Layer the rice. Level it out and place a bed of carrots and onions on top.
5. Place the steaks on top. Cover with the other half of the foil. Set the baking temperature to 190-200 o C. After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet. Open the foil.
6. Finish baking by returning to the oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

How to cook catfish steak

Proper breading will help ensure juiciness of the steak, and a delicious marinade will add flavor to the fish meat.

• Fish.
• Breadcrumbs.
• Lemon.
• Eggs.
• Salt.
• Vodka – 25 ml.
• Seasoning for fish.
• Sunflower oil.

Steak recipe:

1. Initially make a marinade of vodka, lemon juice, seasonings and salt. I advise you to grate the lemon zest and add it to the marinade.
2. Pour the marinade over the cut steaks. Leave for 20-30 minutes.
3. To make the breading, beat the eggs with salt and place the crackers in a separate bowl.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. Dip the pieces into the beaten egg, then roll in the breading.
5. Fry without reducing the heat on both sides.

How to cook catfish in batter

If a capricious fish has a bad attitude towards regular frying in a frying pan, then it feels great in batter. Meet others in another menu by following the link.

Take:

• Catfish.
• Flour.
• Egg.
• Mayonnaise.
• Vegetable oil, spices, salt.

How to grill a steak:

1. Cut the fish into steaks. Rub with seasoning from a packet, or make your own spice mix. Leave for half an hour to marinate.
2. Make a batter by combining mayonnaise with eggs and flour. Beat with a blender.
3. This is followed by the usual frying of fish in batter: dip the pieces and place in hot oil. Fry until browned. Frying time is approximately 7 minutes on each side.

How to deliciously cook catfish in a slow cooker

An amazingly useful gadget that has several functions. For example, “Steaming”. Simply and quickly, in a matter of minutes, you will prepare a delicious dietary dish. In this case, the catfish fillet can be marinated, and look for marinade recipes in any of the ones proposed above.

The second option is done in the “Baking” or “Frying” mode, if available.

Catfish is a very tasty fish with delicate, delicious flesh that literally melts in your mouth. However, it is this consistency that becomes a problem for cooks: catfish fillets are difficult to cook. To ensure that steaks retain their shape, learn a few rules for handling this type of fish.

List of recipes in the article:

Boiled catfish

Tender catfish cooked with aromatic herbs will be an excellent dietary dish. Serve it with a side of wild rice and vegetable salad.

You will need:

• 2 catfish steaks
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 3 glasses of cold water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pink or white peppercorns
• freshly ground black pepper
• bunch of dill

Preparing boiled fillet requires special manipulations so that the catfish acquires greater density; first soak the fish in brine

Dissolve salt in a deep container with water, place catfish steaks in it and leave for two hours. Then remove the fish, rinse under running water and pat dry with a paper towel. Brush each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with ground black pepper.

Cut the cling film into pieces. Place a few sprigs of fresh dill and pink or white peppercorns in the center and place the fish on top. Cover it with another portion of dill and wrap the film tightly. Pour water into a saucepan, add salt and boil. Then reduce the heat and place the fish parcels in the pan.

Cook steaks for about 15 minutes. Remove it using a slotted spoon and carefully unwrap the film. Place catfish on warmed plates and serve. You can prepare a sauce for the fish from sour cream, salt, ground pepper and finely chopped herbs.

Fried catfish

Delicious catfish steaks can be fried. To prevent the delicate fish from spreading in the frying pan, first dip it in the egg batter. It is better to cut large steaks into small pieces, so they will be better fried and retain their density.

You will need:

• 3 catfish steaks
• 2 eggs
• 0.5 cups flour
• 0.5 cups milk
• 1 lemon
• vegetable oil
• bunch of parsley
• freshly ground black pepper

Wash the fish thoroughly and dry it with a paper towel. Cut the steaks into small pieces. Place the fish in a bowl and cover with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Prepare the egg batter. Break the eggs into a separate bowl, add salt, freshly ground black pepper, and pour in the milk. Whisk everything and add flour in portions. Mash the mixture well so that there are no lumps left.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. Dip the catfish pieces into the batter and place in the pan. Fry the fish until golden brown, turning with a wooden spatula. Then reduce the heat and fry the fillet for another 5 minutes until fully cooked. Do not cover the pan with a lid.

Instead of egg batter, you can use flour or ground crackers. Dip the fish pieces in breading and fry as described above.

Catfish is a difficult fish and therefore inexperienced cooks often consider it inedible simply because they do not know how to cook it properly. Without a doubt, it is difficult to prepare this fish, but by delving into all the intricacies of the cooking process, you can turn this delicacy of the sea into an exquisite dish that you will surely enjoy.

In this article we will figure out how to cook catfish and cutlets from it. Well, if you prefer or, then we can help you with advice.

How to fry catfish?

Housewives often complain that the tender and extremely healthy catfish fillet, when fried, turns into a mushy mass unsuitable for consumption. Well, that's right, if cooked incorrectly, fish can easily acquire a jelly-like consistency, but in order to avoid this, it is enough to know a few subtleties.

Firstly, give preference to fresh rather than frozen fish. Of course, this rule applies not only to catfish, but unlike it, some aquatic inhabitants are able to better retain their shape after defrosting, which is not typical for catfish. If you still cannot get a fresh steak, make sure that the fish is completely defrosted before frying, in this case no water will come out of it during cooking, and the fillet will retain its dense structure. Secondly, dip the steaks in brine before frying; this simple procedure will make the fish more dense. The pre-salting method is simple: dilute 3 tablespoons of salt in two glasses of water and dip the fish in the resulting solution for 2 hours, immediately before frying. Afterwards, just rinse the fish and dry it, and then you can start cooking.

By following these two subtleties, you will certainly not be left without a catfish dinner.

Fried catfish - recipe

Ingredients:

• catfish (steak) – 0.5 kg;
• egg – 1 pc.;
• milk – 30 ml;
• flour – 1 tbsp. spoon;
• breadcrumbs - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• vegetable oil - for frying;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Wash and dry the catfish steak. In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk, dip the fish and leave for 30 minutes. Once the time is up, the catfish steak needs to be seasoned, dredged in flour, then re-dipped in the egg-milk mixture and sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

Fry the catfish in a very hot frying pan in a large amount of oil (the thickness of the oil layer in the frying pan is about 0.5 cm), until golden brown on both sides. Fried catfish is served on a warm plate with vegetables and lemon wedges.

Catfish in batter

Ingredients:

• catfish fillet – 500 g;
• dried fennel - a pinch;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• flour – 4 tbsp. spoons;
• egg – 1 pc.;
• beer – 100 ml;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Clean the catfish fillet from the bones. In a small bowl, mix a medium-thick batter of beer, chicken eggs, flour and spices. Dip the cleaned and dried fish pieces into the resulting mixture and fry in hot vegetable oil until golden brown. Before serving, pour lemon juice over the fish and sprinkle with pepper.

Catfish cutlets - recipe

Ingredients:

Preparation

Finely chop the onion and fry until transparent. Using a meat grinder or blender, grind the catfish fillet. Mix fried onion, minced fish, egg and spices. Throw a tablespoon of the resulting fish mass into a bowl with breadcrumbs, roll it in and form cutlets. Catfish fish cutlets are first fried until golden brown, and then placed in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees. Bon appetit!