Trout and salmon are almost revered as great foods, but many people deliberately avoid catfish. When these people are questioned in private, it usually turns out that they have never tried it, but they firmly believe that catfish cannot be a good thing to eat. Because of this prejudice, they are missing out on a wonderful dish. Maybe it’s because catfish can’t claim to top the beauty stakes when it comes to looks. But the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Being a keen fisherman, I firmly believe that if you catch something, you should eat at least part of the catch, releasing the rest. So I tried to eat catfish from the beginning of my career as a cat fisherman. I must say I was wowed by the texture and delicate flavor and it has been a favorite ever since.

Due to the “unpopularity” of catfish, there aren’t many recipes that take full advantage of catfish. That’s why whenever I come across good recipes I try to make them known. Here’s a couple I’ve recently tried and enjoyed.

Pine Bark Stew (For 8 – 10 people).

Ingredients:

•8 ounces bacon, diced and cooked until lightly browned

•5 large potatoes, peeled and diced

•3 cans (about 14 ounces each) stewed tomatoes

•3 medium onions cut into wedges

•2 quarts of water

•3 pounds skinless catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces

•1 can (8 ounces) tomato puree (uncooked pureed tomatoes, sifted)

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place the bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions in a pot or dutch oven, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Now add the fish and tomato passata, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for a further 20 to 30 minutes.

Catfish Gumbo (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

•4 slices of bacon, diced

•1/4 cup of butter

•1/4 cup of chopped onion

•2 cups of freshly cooked okra

•2 cups canned tomatoes, undrained

•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

•1/4 lemon, thinly sliced

•3 cups of boiling water

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•3 drops of Tabasco sauce

•1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

•2 tablespoons of flour

•2 cups cooked catfish, boned and coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Put the bacon fat over medium-low heat in a heavy dutch oven or stock pot. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the onion and cook until translucent but not coloured. Add the okra, tomatoes, garlic and lemon and bring to a boil immediately, then add the boiling water, salt, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Mix the remaining butter with the flour and mix into the stew over low heat a little at a time, stirring constantly. When it thickens, add the catfish, check the seasoning. Return to a boil and serve with hot boiled rice.

Try these catfish recipes the next time you catch some fish (or you can buy a catfish at the store). I am sure you will enjoy them and if you can convince someone new to try a catfish dish, our efforts will not be in vain. .