The catfish (lat. Anarhinchas) is also called the “sea wolf” for its impressive size and wide mouth with large and strong teeth, with which it bites through sea shells. This large fish grows up to one and a half meters and sometimes weighs up to thirty kilograms. There are five species of catfish of the order Perch, which live in various seas and oceans of the world and swim mainly at a depth of 300-500 meters. Interestingly, this fish grows new teeth every year. And its skin is used for the production of handbags and book binding. In Greenland, it was used to make containers for collecting berries.

Catfish meat

The main advantage is that the pulp has virtually no bones. In addition, the meat of this monster is unexpectedly tender, very fatty, slightly sweet - in general, delicious! It is a source of various vitamins, amino acids, and microelements. There are no carbohydrates in it, and the ratio of fats and proteins is one to four.

Use in cooking

If you are thinking about how to cook catfish, don’t rack your brains in vain. A lot of different dishes are made from it. Fish stores sell frozen catfish steak, already cut into portions. It is good smoked, fried, boiled, stewed. Fish cutlets are also made from this meat. It is necessary to remember that the pulp of catfish is very loose, so you need to use various tricks so that it does not fall apart during cooking and does not “spread” over the pan when frying. For these purposes, both salt water and batter are used. Well, now, actually, the recipes.

Cutlets

How to cook catfish? You can make very tender and sweet-tasting fish cutlets. We will need: catfish fillet - one kilogram, a couple of onions, two cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of potato starch, half a glass of milk, salt and pepper - to taste. We pass all the solid ingredients through a meat grinder, add starch and milk to the resulting mass, add salt and pepper. Mix until the raw material is homogeneous. Form cutlets (small, flat). Roll in breadcrumbs or flour. It is better to bake such cutlets at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. How to cook catfish in the oven? We place our semi-finished culinary products on a baking sheet, pre-greased with vegetable oil, and into the oven. Bake until done (usually 20-30 minutes, depending on the “character” of the oven). It is important that a golden crust forms on our cutlets. To flip or not? This process may cause the product to fall apart, so it's best not to. When the cutlets are ready, carefully, maintaining their shape, remove them from the oven with a spatula and serve with sour cream and mashed potatoes. This is one of the popular ways to cook catfish. The result is tender and flavorful meat in a tasty crust.

Casserole

How to cook catfish? You can make a delicious casserole with vegetables and cheese. For this we will need: fish fillet - one kilogram, half a kilo of potatoes, half a kilo of onions, two or three small carrots, hard cheese - 200 grams, a couple of tablespoons of sour cream, a little vegetable oil, “fish spices” - to taste. Place pieces of fish fillet in a deep baking dish, greased with vegetable oil. Cut the potatoes and carrots into cubes and lay them out in the next layer (for those who like to “grat” the vegetables, three on a grater). The third layer is onion. Sprinkle with spices and salt. Next is a layer of catfish. Again - vegetables and onions, spices. Spread sour cream on top. Three cheese on a coarse grater, sprinkle on top. Bake in the oven at a temperature of 180-200 degrees. After 20-30 minutes, the dish is usually ready to eat. Fast and tasty!

How to cook catfish steak

Now cut frozen catfish steaks have begun to appear in stores and supermarkets. They are relatively inexpensive. Plus they fry very quickly and are delicious. However, not all housewives prefer to deal with this fish: some people end up with catfish porridge instead of fried in a frying pan.

Secrets

Now is the time to talk about some of the subtleties in preparing this wonderful fatty fish (meaning the frying process). How to cook delicious catfish? First, the catfish pieces need to be completely thawed. Secondly, for frying you need a good batter or a sufficient amount of flour to generously coat the pieces (by the way, they should also not be too large, but rather small). Thirdly, fry this fish in a deep fryer in a large amount of vegetable oil, almost brought to a boil. You can take a large frying pan with a thick bottom and edges, coated with Teflon or natural stone (the fish will not burn). And then the problem of how to cook catfish in a frying pan will be successfully solved by us.

Steamed with vegetables

This recipe is for lovers of steamers and multicookers, which are believed to retain most of the beneficial substances lost when frying or baking in the oven. It turns out to be an excellent dietary dish for those who are watching their weight. How to cook catfish? We will need: catfish fillet - half a kilogram, two or three medium potatoes, two onions, two carrots, cauliflower - 200 grams, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste. First we make the marinade: lemon juice, pepper, salt. Marinate the fillet pieces for half an hour. At this time, prepare the vegetables: peel, wash, cut into large pieces. Cut the onion into half rings, also large. We wrap each piece of marinated fish in foil and place it on a steamer tray. Set it to “Steam” and cook for 15-20 minutes. Steam vegetables separately (20 minutes). Place vegetables on a plate. Unfold the foil. We take out the pieces of fish and pour the juice on top of the vegetables. Serve with fresh herbs.

Pilaf

From pieces of catfish fillet - 500 grams, a glass of rice, onions - 2 heads, carrots - 2 pieces, and spices you can prepare a very tasty fish pilaf. Cook in a large deep frying pan. We warm it up thoroughly. Chop the onions and carrots and fry them in a frying pan in vegetable oil. Wash the rice, dry it, pour it into a frying pan and lightly fry. Pour the fish on top, season with spices, and pour in about three glasses of water (ratio to rice: one to three). Let's not interfere! Cook over low heat for half an hour. After about fifteen minutes, the rice will swell, and then in the middle of the mass you can make a hole for the outflow of water: we should get pilaf - grain to grain, and not rice porridge. The pilaf is ready. Serve it hot. You can sprinkle fresh herbs on top.

In foil

We will need: catfish fillet - 500 grams, a glass of rice, half a kilo of tomatoes, 200 grams of sour cream, 200 grams of cheese, 200 grams of onions, spices and salt - to taste. This dish is portioned. First, boil the rice separately. It should turn out crumbly.

On double foil measuring approximately 20 by 20 centimeters, place a few spoons of rice, a couple of chopped onion rings, a couple of pieces of fillet, sprinkle with spices, and coat with sour cream. Cut the tomatoes into slices. The design is completed by a circle of tomato. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. We wrap the foil on all sides to make a kind of pot. We make several servings this way. Place in the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Before cooking, open the foil on top to form a crust. Serve in portions, directly in foil, placed on plates. Bon appetit everyone!

One of my family’s favorite fish recipes is fish marinated with carrots and onions. I remember how, as a child, my mother cooked fish with a marinade of carrots and onions, and we, enjoying the amazing aroma from the oven, eagerly looked into the kitchen - when would we be called to the table...

Perhaps this dish can be put on a par with classic Soviet-era recipes such as Olivier, Mimosa and Prague Cake - their popularity can only be envied.

Without exaggeration, one can say about this mother’s dish: “you’ll swallow your tongue with marinated fish.” I cook the recipe for marinated fish with carrots in the classic version quite often, especially in winter. For fish fried under marinade to turn out tasty, you only need one condition: the fish fillet must be boneless. Cooking fish with marinade is not a complicated process: all the ingredients are available, and the process does not take much time.

I have tried marinated fish in the classic version in many places: in a factory canteen, in sanatoriums, in pioneer camps, in cafes... but the most delicious marinated fish is obtained according to my mother’s recipe. Moreover, cold fish with a marinade of carrots and onions seems to me tastier. I really hope that you will also like my humble recipe for marinated fish with carrots.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of catfish fillet (hake, pollock, perch, etc.);
• 2 eggs;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 0.5 cups flour;
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil;
• 2 large onions;
• 2 large carrots;
• 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce;
• 1-2 bay leaves;
• 6-8 black peppercorns;
• salt and pepper to taste.

How to cook marinated fish:

Cut the defrosted fish fillet into approximately equal, not very large pieces (4-5 cm).

Salt and pepper the fish pieces to taste.

In a separate container, beat eggs with salt and pepper.

Pour flour onto a plate.

First roll each piece of fish in flour.

And then dip it in the egg.

Place the fish pieces in a well-heated frying pan with vegetable oil.

Fry the fish fillet on each side until golden brown.

Peel the onion and cut into half rings.

Peel the carrots and grate them on a coarse grater.

Saute the carrots in vegetable oil until soft, for 10-12 minutes.

Transfer the carrots from the pan to a large bowl.

Fry the onion in vegetable oil over low heat until light golden brown, also 10-12 minutes.

Add onions to carrots and tomato sauce.

Salt and pepper the onions and carrots to taste and mix.

Place the fish in one layer in a baking dish. There is no need to grease the mold with oil first.

Place vegetables on top of the fish layer in a baking dish.

Top with bay leaf and peppercorns.

Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.

Salted catfish (steaks)

Sandwich with home-salted catfish

I recently bought catfish steaks and was wondering what I should do with them? After a test preparation of fried catfish (dipped in flour), it turned out that it was very tasty - only a thin strip of fried skin with a layer of tender fat. But the pulp after heat treatment is very watery and uninteresting.

And I realized that such fish would be good in dough (thick, preferably viscous yeast dough, like for donuts). Once in Cyprus I tried this dish - a piece of fish in dough resembled a fried pie with a very juicy filling. This means it will be delicious with catfish.

But I didn’t plan to fry pies and fish in dough, and 2 steaks were still thawing and needed ideas. And then I remembered how tasty salted butterfish can be (I think even those who haven’t tried it can guess its properties by the name). And I decided to make lightly salted catfish. Why, a sandwich with such fish is a real delicacy!

What you need for pickling

for 4 servings

• Catfish steaks – 2 pieces;
• Salt – 2-3 tablespoons;
• Sugar – 1 tablespoon;
• Spices (optional) – a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, 2-3 buds of cloves (broken).

How to pickle

• Thaw the catfish steaks (you can not completely defrost them, leaving them a little hard).
• Mix salt and sugar. Sprinkle it over both sides of the steaks. Place the fish on a clean linen cloth. Sprinkle with pepper and cloves. Wrap the fish in a cloth.
• Place the fish in a cool place (I put it in the refrigerator) for salting. The fish will be ready in a day, but if it sits for 2 days, it will become even tastier.
• Remove the finished fish from the cloth, cut off the rim of the skin (it is inconvenient to eat, you can either eat it separately or throw it with the potatoes at the end of frying, the skin will turn out crispy). Cut the catfish fillet from the bone. Next, either make sandwiches with this fillet (for 1 sandwich there is half a lightly salted steak), or you can cut the fish into several pieces and serve with fried potatoes or mashed potatoes. It will be very tasty!

Bon appetit!

Fatty, tasty home-salted fish

Cooking catfish in pictures

Dry salted catfish fillet (in a rag) After salting, the finished lightly salted catfish can be transferred from the rag into a container Sandwich with catfish

Catfish is a very tasty fish, which is not cooked only because they do not know how to cook it correctly. If you do not follow simple preparatory steps, this delicious dish will turn into porridge.

To prevent this, you need to remember the main thing: catfish cannot be cooked just like that. It should be fried in batter, flour, breadcrumbs, baked in mayonnaise or some kind of sauce. To fix the shape, you need to cook it half-thawed and fry it completely thawed. The fish turns out to be very nutritious and healthy, so even the most picky eaters will like the right dish.

Catfish meat - beneficial properties

The taste of catfish is very tender and slightly sweet, reminiscent of sea bass. At the same time, its beneficial properties are very extensive. It is a dietary product, since its calorie content is approximately 115 kcal per 100 grams of product. This figure increases depending on the cooking method.

Catfish contains beneficial acids that remove unnecessary cholesterol from the body. This contributes to the rapid restoration of blood vessels and the prevention of further diseases associated with the cardiovascular system.

In general, catfish is highly recommended for people with such diseases. It also contains magnesium and vitamin PP, which are responsible for strengthening the heart muscle, dilating blood vessels, improving blood circulation and oxygen supply throughout the body. And due to its high protein content, fish is recommended for consumption by athletes.

If we talk about the water-salt balance, then catfish normalizes it due to the chlorine it contains. Sulfur in fish improves metabolic processes, and potassium reduces swelling in the body and restores blood pressure. Phosphorus and potassium strengthen bone tissue.

What's the best way to cook fish?

Catfish meat is suitable for both lovers of fish dishes and for the little ones. The fish has almost no bones. Cooks have access to many recipes using this meat. Why do so many people complain so much about the fish “porridge” that turns out instead of a juicy steak? The whole problem is in the method of preparation. Catfish is very loose and needs to be properly processed before cooking.

For stewing or frying, use batter or boil the fish in pre-salted water. This way it will remain intact and will not lose its beneficial properties.

Do not lose sight of the fact that any oil increases the fat content of the product. Therefore, frying catfish is suitable for those who do not monitor the number of calories in the dish. To ensure that the fish turns out tasty and not saturated with dripping oil, it must be placed in a well-heated frying pan.

The most delicious catfish is considered to be cooked on the grill, steamed and in the oven, although it is often consumed smoked. For children and those on a diet, steamed cutlets and soup are recommended. Fish lovers will appreciate catfish steak, as well as catfish baked in foil. All cereals and vegetables are suitable as a side dish, but most of all – sweet peppers and potatoes.

Fried and steamed cutlets

Making catfish cutlets is easy and simple, and most importantly, delicious. For this you will need:

• fish meat 0.5 kg;
• one onion;
• two tablespoons of semolina (40-50 g);
• half a cup of milk;
• one egg;
• a little sunflower oil;
• breadcrumbs;
• dill for lovers and spices at your discretion.

Preparation:

1. Place catfish fillet and dill (optional), finely grated onion and egg into a blender. Instead of semolina, you can use bread; different recipes yield different ingredients. You also need to add milk, salt and pepper;
2. Mix and beat it all until you get one mass. To prevent excess liquid from spreading over the pan (or in a double boiler, if the cutlets will be steamed), you need to leave the mixture for 40 minutes. Semolina will absorb everything unnecessary;
3. After this, cutlets of the desired shape are formed from the resulting minced meat. These can be hearts, smiles, and the most ordinary “round pieces”.
4. Roll the finished molds in breadcrumbs;
5. In a frying pan, the catfish is fried on both sides until golden brown.

Ready! Delicious catfish cutlets can be served. For a side dish, you can choose vegetable stew, fried potatoes, or serve simply with sour cream.

Catfish steak recipe

Catfish steak is a very fancy dish. If you forget one or the other nuance, you can end up with collapsed lumps of fish meat. To get started, you will need simple ingredients:

• salt;
• flour;
• oil;
• catfish steaks.

Preparation:

1. Heavily frozen fish is not an option. It needs to be given time to thaw by about ¾, then salt generously and marinate. Within half an hour you can forget about the fish;
2. The next item is flour. Once the catfish is marinated, it should be well coated in flour. A little secret: to prevent it from burning, you need to lightly chop the fish before placing it in the pan. This way the remaining flour will not curl into lumps;
3. Heat the pan as hot as possible;
4. Pour oil into a hot frying pan and wait until it warms up;
5. You need to fry until a golden crust appears. Do not cover with a lid! This will only make things worse. After frying, set the pan aside for a couple of minutes. The fish will reach the desired state and lose any remaining looseness.

Steamed catfish with vegetables

Catfish is a very healthy fish and low in calories if cooked correctly. A good option is steamed, and vegetables for a side dish. What you will need as ingredients:

• any vegetables of your choice.

Preparation:

1. Thaw the fish completely, add salt and leave for half an hour;
2. After the time has passed, the catfish should be rinsed with water and dried;
3. The fish is placed on the top grill, and the selected vegetables are placed below;
4. You can leave the steamer on for 20-25 minutes before cooking the catfish.

In the meantime, the fish is turning into a delicious dish, you can prepare a white sauce. Ingredients for the sauce:

• flour;
• low-fat cream;
• salt;
• pepper and spices;
• Bay leaf.

Preparation:

1. The flour is fried in oil, and then all the ingredients are added;
2. Stir until the liquid thickens slightly;
3. If it doesn't thicken at all, you can add flour. If it's the other way around, add cream. Important note: this sauce becomes thick over time, so it is ideal to prepare it right before serving. On average it takes 5-7 minutes to cook.

After cooking, let the catfish sit for 2-3 minutes and carefully place it on a plate. You can pour the prepared sauce on top, add a sprig of parsley for decoration and serve.

Delicious fish pilaf

Pilaf is known for its satiety and taste. But no one limited the choice of meat. Instead of the usual lamb, you can use catfish fillet, and do everything possible to ensure that its juice is completely absorbed into the rice.

So, what you will need:

• catfish 1 kg;
• rice 1 cup;
• one or two onions;
• the same amount of carrots;
• spices to taste and vegetable meat.

Preparation:

1. There is no need to defrost the fillet completely. It should thaw slightly, but not be soft;
2. After defrosting, wash the meat and cut into cubes 2 centimeters thick;
3. Rinse the rice and place in a colander to drain;
4. Cut the onion into rings;
5. Grate the carrots;
6. Fry onions and carrots together. Important: first the onion is sautéed for a couple of minutes, after which the carrots are added to it;
7. Once the vegetables are ready, add the washed rice. This is done so that it is crumbly;
8. After a couple of minutes, you can transfer the mass to the desired saucepan or continue cooking in a frying pan if its volume allows. Add 1.5 cups of water;
9. There is no need to add more water: the catfish is saturated with juice. If you add more liquid, you will get not an appetizing pilaf, but a slurry;
10. You only need to stir the contents of the pan once after adding water. This will keep the shape;
11. After stirring, you can add catfish and spices;
12. The lid can be closed and the heat reduced;
13. Further preparation depends on the type of rice, but the mass should simmer for approximately 20 minutes;
14. Upon completion of cooking, the pilaf is mixed and served.

If you bake in foil in the oven

For those who like to bake in the oven, catfish can also be tasty. The main thing to remember is that you need to prepare the meat so that it retains its shape and taste. To prepare you will need:

• fillet 0.5-0.6 kg;
• two onions;
• mayonnaise;
• lemon juice (a tablespoon per eye);
• breadcrumbs.

Preparation:

1. Wash and dry the fillet, salt and pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice and leave for half an hour.
2. Prepare the baking dish. Place onion rings (half) on the bottom of the foil, and marinated catfish on top;
3. Use the other half of the onion to “cover” the top side of the fish;
4. On top everything is coated with mayonnaise (you can use sour cream) and sprinkled with breadcrumbs;
5. Do not cover the top with foil; it serves to preserve the juice;
6. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, bake for up to half an hour (depending on the oven);

The most appetizing and rich soup

To prepare fish soup you will need not only catfish, but also white fish for the broth. But the rest of the dish is satisfying thanks to the catfish. By ingredients:

Preparation:

1. Separate the skin and bones from the fish.
2. Add celery, bay leaf, pepper, fish to the pan and cover it all with cold water.
3. The first foam is drained, then cook for at least half an hour.
4. Cut the onion in half, peel the carrots or wash them thoroughly, then fry them on both sides in a dry frying pan. It should burn slightly.
5. When the broth is ready, add the “fried” vegetables to it.
6. After boiling, strain, remove everything that was previously - it will no longer be needed.
7. A nuance: to make the broth transparent, you need to pour a beaten egg into it, stir and remove with a slotted spoon.
8. Place the broth on the fire, throw small potatoes inside.
9. Soak the saffron in alcohol or vodka, then squeeze, remove, and add the same amount of water to the liquid. You should get no more than 50-60 ml. Pour all this into the broth.
10. Fry another onion and leek, then add the whole mass to the broth (about 10 minutes after adding the potatoes).
11. Chop the remaining fish fillets and add to the broth.
12. Cut the cod liver into large pieces and add it after 10 minutes. You can sprinkle with dill.
13. You can salt, pepper and add spices, for decoration - lemon.

Amazing catfish in creamy sauce

Banal recipes can get boring even with such tasty fish as catfish. In this case, you can resort to the original - bake the fish in a creamy sauce. It doesn’t sound original, but the taste will be delicate and very unusual. What you will need:

• 0.5 kg catfish;
• 800ml cream;
• liter of fish broth;
• salt and pepper to taste;
• nori seaweed;
• sunflower oil.

Preparation:

1. The catfish is cut into pieces and soaked in cold water (2-3 tablespoons of salt per liter of water).
2. You will need a deep frying pan. Pour cream into it.
3. Reduce by half and add fish broth, throw in seaweed.
4. The sauce is almost ready, all you have to do is beat it with a blender.
5. Remove the catfish from the marinade, then fry over high heat until half-baked.
6. Place catfish and half of the sauce in a baking dish. You can place onions on the bottom of the mold.
7. After 10-15 minutes the dish is ready. Pour over the remaining sauce and serve.

Catfish in batter with golden crust

If you fry catfish without preparation, it will become like porridge, and also very fatty.

There are several secrets to forming neat pieces and removing excess fat. What ingredients will you need:

• 0.5 kg catfish;
• half a lemon;
• red pepper;
• salt to taste;
• oil for frying.

For the batter you need:

• flour;
• egg;
• vodka (50 grams is enough);
• half a glass of water.

Preparation:

1. Clean the fish: separate the meat from the bones, cut into small pieces.
2. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
3. Now the batter: separate the white from the yolk and beat the white.
4. Mix the yolk, flour, vodka and water, add salt and a spoonful of sunflower oil.
5. Carefully fold the whipped egg white mixture into the batter mixture. Stir from the edge to the center so that the air bubbles in the protein burst as little as possible.
6. Dip the catfish into the prepared batter and place in a heated frying pan with oil.
7. Fry each piece on both sides.
8. Place on a napkin to drain excess fat.

Ready! Bon appetit!

We present to your attention a simple video recipe for fried catfish in breadcrumbs:

In conclusion, it must be said that there are countless variations in the preparation of catfish, but each of them is based on basic recipes. Cooking in the oven, fish soup fried in batter, steak, cutlets and pilaf. These recipes are standard, but can be supplemented with different spices or cooking methods.

Everywhere a standard marinade is used: salt, pepper (in some versions, add lemon juice) and leave for half an hour. These are mandatory procedures for preparing tasty and healthy catfish. For a side dish, it is best to use vegetables in such a way as to avoid fat content as much as possible - the fish itself is very filling and the side dish may seem unnecessary.

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

Read on topic:

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 more dense. 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.

Read on topic:

Pack the catfish with a pat of butter in a vacuum or Ziploc bag. You can additionally season the fish with lemon zest and thyme, or you can leave it as is to preserve the original taste of the catfish. Cook the catfish sous vide at 50 degrees for 1 hour, then remove the fish from the bag and pat dry again. Place a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, melt a knob of butter in it and fry the fish until crusty, then serve with freshly ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.