In European countries it is a delicacy. They can prepare a very diverse range of catfish dishes, but the price is far from low. Fish is low in calories, has many microelements and proteins, but a reduced amount of fat. In addition, the carcass has almost no small bones, so it is easy to cut and takes little time for initial preparation. There are different types of catfish in stores, each of them can and should be cooked, especially since the dishes are varied and quite tasty.
Connoisseurs know that when cooking fish it is worth considering many nuances. Fillet pieces easily fall apart and become mush when frying in a frying pan. Therefore, you need to know how to cook fish steaks correctly - you should follow some rules and the dish will turn out whole, beautiful and very pleasant to the taste.
We offer fish lovers several recipes from this special fish. After all, catfish is prepared in all its splendor - from appetizers to first courses. Here you will find some secrets and nuances of the culinary recipe that will help you enjoy fish to its fullest.
How to cook delicious catfish - chefs' secrets
Before you start preparing fish delicacies from catfish, we recommend that you plunge into the secrets of the technological process and learn a few culinary tips for properly preparing fish steaks.
- If you want a fried dish, then tender meat must be fried - the frying pan and oil must be heated as much as possible. Never close the lid, as the stewed fish will definitely fall apart.
- To maximize the bonding of steak fibers before frying, the carcass should be temporarily placed in a strong salt solution (50 g/liter of water) or lightly boiled in salt water (not a very salty solution). As an option, a beaten egg with flour is often used - batter. Fried steaks turn out golden brown and do not turn into mush.
- It is important not to exceed the grilling time for steaks. For tender meat, a maximum of 15 minutes of roasting is sufficient. If you bake in the oven, the cooking time increases. The time always depends on the size and thickness of the piece. Again, attention is paid to the readiness of the ingredients that make up the entire recipe.
- Another interesting point is that the catfish carcass is denser closer to the tail. Therefore, steaks for frying should be taken from the middle to the tail; the rest is optimal for preparing a liquid dish or minced meat for cutlets.
- When using frozen catfish, you need to be patient and wait until the fish defrosts on its own. In this case, you cannot rush and speed up the process using hot water or a microwave oven - the fish will absolutely fall apart and you will end up with an extremely ugly dish.
By following these recommendations, you always have a chance to get high-quality dishes without unnecessary flaws. At the same time, all stages of the technological process should be strictly observed, although some chefs often include their additives in already tested recipes.
Catfish in batter in a frying pan - a simple recipe
Here is the simplest recipe for a classic batter that you can whip up. It is important that you master the basic principles of preparing battered catfish so that you can easily cope with more complex recipes.
Take:
- Fillet.
- Eggs – 2 pcs.
- Flour.
- Garlic – 2 cloves.
- Soda - a pinch.
- Salt, ground pepper.
- Seasonings for fish (ready-made).
Step by step recipe:
Thaw the fish. You can fry it into steaks, or cut it into fillets, removing the spinal bone. Be sure to rinse and blot the workpieces with a paper towel.
Salt, pepper, beat in one egg. Don't skimp on the eggs, although this is not a requirement. Thanks to it, the batch will stick well to the pieces.
Make the catfish frying batter. To do this, beat the remaining egg into a bowl, add finely chopped garlic cloves.
Add a little salt to the contents and splash in a drop of water. Whisk until smooth.
Add the sifted flour in several additions. I didn’t indicate the exact amount, fill in how much you “take.” Add in 2-3 portions, stirring each portion well, and decide as you go how much more needs to be added.
Add seasonings as you go. Take a ready-made bouquet for fish from a bag, or add your favorite ones, if desired.
If you want the shell to be fluffy, add a pinch of baking soda and mix the batter thoroughly again.
Now evaluate the consistency. The mass should not be liquid, otherwise it will quickly flow down during frying, and you will not get the desired thick shell. Make a fairly thick batch so that it does not drip, but falls heavily from the spoon - this will be just right.
To make frying a success, be sure to heat the oil in a frying pan. Dip each piece into the mixture and place in oil.
Fry on the bottom side until golden brown. It is difficult to name the exact time; it depends on the size and weight of the fillet blanks.
Turn the pieces over. Continue cooking until the back side is browned.
Keep in mind that the second side cooks much faster. In addition, even after you transfer the pieces to a plate, the heat will remain high for a couple of minutes and the process will continue. Therefore, do not wait for the shell to be deeply fried and dark; it will brown a little more on the plate.
If you are counting calories, first place the finished fish on a paper napkin. When it has absorbed excess fat, transfer it to a plate and help yourself.
Fish and potatoes baked in the oven
Components:
- Pieces of fish - 2 steaks;
- Potato root vegetables – 4 medium;
- Hard cheese – about 100 g;
- Salt, special seasoning;
- Vegetable oil - for lubricating foil.
Cooking technology:
For each piece, take your own foil so that the steak and potatoes fit there. Grease the foil with oil.
Peel the potatoes, cut into thin slices and distribute in the middle of the foil. Salt and add seasoning. Also process the fillet pieces and place them on top of the potatoes. Carefully pack the contents in foil - you get a kind of shiny pyramid.
Place the dish on a baking sheet and place in the oven (200 C) for 20 minutes. Now grate the cheese. Pull out the baking sheet, cut the foil in the middle and sprinkle the fish with cheese. Place the dish back in the oven for 15 minutes.
Baked catfish can be served either hot or slightly cooled. You can place it on the table directly in the foil, opening it like a boat, or put the steaks and potatoes on a plate. Be sure to decorate the dish with herbs.
Steaks in batter
Components:
- Carcass pieces – 500 g;
- Purified vegetable oil;
- Egg – one large;
- Ground black pepper;
- Half a lemon (or lime);
- Vodka – 120 ml;
- a few tablespoons of flour for making batter;
- salt to taste;
- Water – 50 ml.
Cooking technology:
Carefully remove the washed fish from the bones and cut into pieces, preferably not very small. If you bought ready-made steaks, then that’s even better. Lightly moisten the pieces with lemon juice.
To prepare the batter, break the egg, beat, add water and vodka. In this case, the vodka will make the batter crispy, and the entire product will not be so greasy when fried. The taste and smell of alcohol will be completely removed during the process.
Mix all ingredients well with a whisk and add sifted flour. You should get a composition similar to thick sour cream, add salt and pepper to your taste.
Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it thoroughly. Dip each piece into the batter, let the excess drip off a little, and gently lower it into the hot oil. Reduce the flame to medium and fry until golden brown. Turn the pieces over, lower the flame and let them fry until fully cooked. Do not cover with a lid and monitor the process.
Place the finished product on a napkin until it cools to remove excess fat. Battered fish goes well with various side dishes - delicious with mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables or vegetable stew.
Catfish with creamy sauce
Components:
- Steak or catfish fillet – 500 g;
- Broth (suitable for both fish and vegetables) – 0.5 l;
- Canned sea cabbage – 150 g;
- Cream 15-20% fat – 500 ml;
- Salt, spices for fish;
- Oil.
Cooking technology:
Cut the fillet into portions, add salt and spices. Fry quickly over high heat on both sides in heated vegetable oil.
Pour cream into the broth and cook until the volume of liquid is reduced by 1.5 times. Then add the cabbage here and cook for another 5 minutes. Using a blender, grind the entire mass until smooth.
Place the fried fillet portions on a greased baking sheet and pour in the sauce (half of the total mass). Place in the oven, bring the temperature to 180 C and bake for 25 minutes.
When ready, place the fish on plates, pour hot (required) sauce and invite guests to the table. The fish turns out to be tender in taste, and the dish is light and healthy. Low-calorie foods are always popular with those who love a healthy lifestyle.
How to cook “Catfish steak in a frying pan”
We wash the catfish steaks well and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and sprinkle with lemon juice. Leave to marinate for 10-15 minutes.
Beat the egg with a pinch of salt. Pour flour and breadcrumbs into separate bowls.
Coat the steaks well in breadcrumbs. Then dip them in the egg and roll in flour.
In a well-heated frying pan with vegetable oil, fry the catfish steaks on both sides until a strong golden brown crust forms.
Baked catfish steaks with vegetables
Components:
- Catfish – 4 steaks;
- Onions – 2 pieces;
- Carrots – 1 large;
- Fresh tomato – 3 pieces;
- Lemon juice;
- Salt;
- Fish seasoning as desired;
- Mayonnaise – 50 ml;
- To lubricate the foil with vegetable oil;
- Hard cheese for taste – up to 80 g.
Cooking technology:
Apply, lightly rubbing, salt and spices, lemon juice onto the fish. Place each steak on its own piece of foil, greased with oil. Place carrot and onion dressing on it and slices of tomatoes on top.
First, grate the carrots and chop the onion, mix them and add a good spoon of mayonnaise. Stir - you get a carrot and onion dressing.
Cover the tomatoes with the remaining mayonnaise and sprinkle with grated cheese. You don't have to sprinkle the cheese, but it will give it a piquant taste. Without cheese, you get a lean dish. And if you replace mayonnaise with non-fat sour cream, you will generally get a dietary product.
Carefully wrap the ingredients laid on foil with foil and place in a hot oven (200 C) for half an hour. The dish is completely independent and is served on foil or a plate. As an option, you can add a side dish - potatoes, rice, vegetables.
Fish with vegetables will be enjoyed both at an everyday lunch and as a decoration for a festive feast.
Catfish steak with vegetables in foil
Baking in the oven in a foil sleeve will help you prepare a flavorful, low-calorie delicacy from a juicy fish steak and baked vegetables.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- fish – 700 g;
- half a lemon;
- onion heads – 3 pcs.;
- tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.;
- sweet pepper pods – 2 pcs.;
- fresh carrots – 2 pcs.;
- ½ chili pod;
- Teriyaki sauce - 2 tbsp. l.;
- purified butter – 2 tbsp. l.;
- thick homemade sour cream - 2 tbsp. l.;
- feather bow - 2-3 feathers;
- green fresh parsley - 3 branches.
A delicious dish is prepared in stages:
- The fish piece is divided into portioned steaks. You need to make sure that their thickness is no less than the thickness of a finger, or better than two. You should not chop it, as the steaks may subsequently fall apart.
- The meat is poured with freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkled with soy sauce. The workpiece remains to marinate.
- The onion is peeled and chopped into thin half rings.
- Clean tomatoes are cut into thin circles. If a lot of juice leaks out during the process, it is better to drain it.
- Carrots are grated in Korean style. Sweet peppers are freed from seeds and thinly cut into strips.
- The seedless chili is divided into thin rings.
- The baking dish is covered with foil, and the top surface is coated with odorless vegetable oil.
- Onion rings are laid out on it, with carrot shavings on them.
- The fish is laid out on a vegetable “bed”, poured over with the remaining marinade and salted. Sliced tomatoes and chili rings are placed on the fish.
- All products are coated with sour cream, into which pre-peeled and chopped garlic is added.
- The workpiece is placed in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees.
Appetizing, flaky catfish with fragrant vegetables without fat and a lot of oil is ready. Serving is done in portions. You can put some asparagus, half a quail egg, sprigs of parsley and dill on a plate.
Delicate dietary catfish soup
Components:
- Catfish – 250 g;
- Potatoes – 300 g;
- Onion – 100 g;
- Carrot – 100 g;
- Water – 1500 ml;
- Oatmeal – 20 g;
- Salt, black pepper, bay leaf – 1;
- Chopped greens.
Cooking technology:
Place a whole piece of fish in a saucepan of water and let it boil over medium heat. If foam appears, be sure to remove it. Reduce the flame and add bay leaves, peppercorns and cook the broth for half an hour, covering the saucepan with a lid.
Remove the fish, remove the bones, and strain the broth through a strainer. Add finely chopped onion, grated carrots and diced potatoes to the broth. Boil the mixture for 20 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients - cooked fish, flakes, herbs. Add salt and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. After which the soup should stand for about 15 minutes. That’s it, the dish is ready. Serving will be decorated with a spoonful of sour cream or a small piece of butter (butter).
Catfish cutlets
Components:
- Fish pulp – 500 g;
- Salo, optional;
- Egg – 1 piece;
- Semolina – 50 g;
- Milk – 80 ml;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Garlic – 1 clove;
- Greens, seasonings - optional;
- Breadcrumbs;
- Vegetable oil for frying.
Cooking technology:
Grind the fish fillet, onion, and, if necessary, lard in a meat grinder and add an egg, garlic (finely chopped or put through a garlic press), chopped parsley, spices, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
Add heated milk to the semolina and leave for 5 minutes. Add the mixture to the minced meat and mix well, let it sit for 15 minutes. Divide the resulting mixture into medium-sized cutlets, roll in breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil on each side.
Ready-made cutlets are served with any side dish, both vegetable and porridge. Soft juicy cutlets are respected by both children and adults.
Dietary steamed catfish recipe in a slow cooker
Components:
- Catfish pieces - 2 steaks;
- Cauliflower – 200 g (frozen);
- Lettuce – 2 sheets;
- Onion – 100 g in rings;
- Cherry tomato – 7 pieces (can be cut in half);
- Olive oil for frying;
- Lemon juice – sprinkle over fillets;
- Flour for deboning;
- Water (according to instructions);
- Salt;
- Spices for fish, optional.
Cooking technology:
Prepare the steaks - rub with salt and seasonings, lightly apply oil, and coat in flour. Place on the grill of a steamer or multicooker. According to the instructions, pour water into the container and turn on the device. Set on steam cooking mode for 20 minutes.
Then remove the fish and replace it with cauliflower, cook it for 20 minutes, but after 10 minutes of cooking, open it and add cherry tomatoes.
When the ingredients are ready, place a salad leaf on a plate, the prepared fish steak on top, and beautifully distribute the onion and other vegetables in rings around the perimeter of the fish. It is recommended to first soak the onion in lemon juice so that it loses its sharpness.
According to the second option, the fish is easily cooked immediately with cabbage. In this case, the steaks must first be fried in oil using the “Frying” program, then add a little water and place a grill with vegetables on top. Close the device and turn on the “Steam” mode for 20 minutes.
Catfish is a delicacy in different countries.
In our country, many people can afford this kind of fish; it is quite affordable. Therefore, if you know how to cook amazing fish and follow the necessary culinary tips, then you have the opportunity to radically supplement your relatives’ diet with tasty and healthy dishes. Return to list
Cooking catfish in a slow cooker
Delicious and healthy catfish cooked in a slow cooker remains so tender that it simply melts in your mouth. Those who like light dietary dishes can use the “Baking” function to prepare a hearty lunch.
List of required ingredients:
- pieces of fish – 2 pcs.;
- fresh tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
- bulb;
- wheat flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper - optional;
- clarified butter – 2 tbsp. l.
Cooking method step by step:
- The steaks are completely defrosted, their surface is blotted to remove excess moisture and the fillet does not turn into mush. The pieces are salted, peppered and left to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Peeled onions and peeled tomatoes are cut into thick rings.
- Flour is combined with salt. Fish steaks are generously coated in this mixture.
- Pour 2 tbsp into the multicooker bowl. l. oils Catfish preparations are laid out on it, on top of which rings of vegetables are laid out.
- The “Baking” mode is set. The dish is stewed with the lid open for 15 minutes on one side, so that a golden, dense crust of flour forms on the surface.
- Using tongs or a silicone spatula, carefully turn the pieces over to the other side and bake on it for another 10 minutes.
- After this, the workpieces are left to stand in the multicooker bowl for another 15 minutes, so that the pulp becomes even more tender and rich.
Catfish steak. Cooking recipes are provided below.
Serve with vegetables or potatoes and dill. The fish is served with lemon sauce or a mixture of garlic and herbs.
