The Catfish That Walks

I think the catfish species has been much maligned.  When I talk to people about my love of catfish (for eating), many reject the idea and turn up their noses at the thought.  However, catfish inhabit every continent on the planet except Antarctica.  That could be because they don't like the very cold, frozen temperatures.  They prefer cool, clean, deep water with slow or moderate currents. They also like a sandy or rocky bottom. So they inhabit rivers, streams, swamps, lakes and reservoirs.

There are over 2000 catfish species in existence and more than half of them live in the Americas.  They live in Central Europe, Africa and Asia and some of the world's best catfish recipes come from those countries.  In some locales, there is a species of catfish that walks.  Well, it doesn't actually walks, but has a way to get across land when the waters dry up.

At one time, catfish were a delicacy and eaten on special holidays, so when immigrants came to American shores, they brought that tradition with them.  Nowadays, catfish is enjoyed anytime.

Catfish have no scales, but they do have what are called "barbels" which look like cat whiskers.  Nor do they have fur. They have a delicate flavor so they lend themselves easily to many fish recipes.    They can be sautéed, broiled, put in stews or barbecued. 

In Indonesia, people get their catfish grilled by street vendors in stalls and eaten with vegetables and soy sauce.  In Malaysia catfish is fried with spices (See below: Fried Catfish Middle Eastern Style). In some Indian states catfish is eaten as a favored delicacy during the monsoons.  And, of course, in the Southern United States, catfish is generally fried in oil with cornmeal.  (See below my Annapolis-inspired Fried Catfish Nuggets for the Super Bowl.)

In the US, roughly 95% of  farm-raised catfish is raised in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana.  Catfish is very popular in the South in the summertime.  In recognition of and to celebrate its popularity, President Ronald Reagan declared June 25th National Catfish Day in 1987.

Here, in the coming months, you are going to find some of the world's best catfish recipes for catfish lovers.

Fried Catfish Middle Eastern Style

You will know from this blog that fish and catfish, in particular, are featured.  Searching always for new catfish recipes, this one is adapted from a recipe called Lahori Fish.  Lahore is a city in Pakistan.  It is not specifically for catfish, yet this recipe is delicious using my favorite river food.  You may find some new seasonings and ingredients in this recipe you might not have in your pantry, like gram flour (made from chickpeas), chaat masala and carom seeds.  No worries.  You can find them in Indian markets or online.

The fish is marinated in and covered with a thick  batter of gram flour (Besan) and spiced with carom seeds (Ajwain) and chaat masala, another spice mixture..

Ingredients

    * 1 kg, (about 2.2 lbs) catfish nuggets or fillet, cut into medium sized fillets/chunks)
    * bread crumbs
    * oil for frying

 

  * Batter:

    * 1/2 cup gram flour (Besan)
    * 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
    * 1 tsp red Chilli powder
    * 1 tsp crushed red chillies
    * 1 tbsp crushed whole coriander
    * 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    * 1/2 tsp carom seeds (Ajwain)
    * 2 tbsp white vinegar
    * salt to taste
    * water, as required

Directions

    * Combine all ingredients for the batter with enough water to make a thick paste.
    * Apply this well on the fish.  Marinate for couple of hours so that some marinade is absorbed by the fish.
    * Now lightly coat with bread crumbs and set aside for 15 minutes.
    * Deep fry the fish, in batches, in hot oil until golden brown.
    * Drain and sprinkle fish with lemon juice and Chaat Masala.
    * Serve hot with salad and lemon wedges.
 

Copycat Sonic Drive-In Fritos Chili Cheese Wraps

Hi All

Got this from the Ron Douglas Recipe Secrets Blog

Your kids are going to love this simple recipe.

1 can mild plain chili
3 cups Fritos original style corn chips
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced onions
4 large flour tortillas

Directions:

Warm the chili. Mix Fritos with chili; place chili mixture in the
middle of one flour tortilla. Sprinkle shredded cheese and diced
onions on top to taste.

Fold one side of the tortilla halfway on top of chili. Fold each
side over each other. The bottom should be tucked in and filling
will be seen from the top of wrapped shell. Microwave for 15 to 20
seconds.

Repeat with each tortilla shell. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Source: The Secret Recipe Blog

Until Next Time... Be Well!

Angela

Get your own copy of  America's Secret Recipes

Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Just wanted to share this recipe I saw online.  Enjoy!

Makes 12 mushrooms – about 4 servings. Simply adjust ingredients in same ratio depending on your crowd.

NOTES

    * All recipes created by Marla unless otherwise noted.
    * Source organic ingredients when available. Shop for ingredients at the Family Fresh Cooking Amazon Store
    * These mushrooms are great straight out of the oven but good at room temperature too.
    * I used two types of cheese in this recipe. 1/2 the mushrooms had shaved Parmesan the other 1/2 had Brie. I encourage you to try whatever you like. (See Variations below.)
    * If you use dried Thyme and Chives you might need a little more.
    * To reheat I put ours in the toaster oven at 350˚F for 8-10 minutes until warm.

INGREDIENTS

    * 12 medium Crimini Mushrooms, rinse and pat dry
    * 3 tablespoons Bacon crumbles, set 1 tablespoon aside for topping
    * 1 ounce varied Cheese, cut into pieces (I like Brie and shaved Parmesan) set 1/2 aside for topping
    * 1 teaspoon fresh Thyme
    * 1 tablespoon chopped Chives, plus some for garnish
    * pinch of Garlic Salt
    * pinch of cracked Black Pepper
    * pinch of Smoked Paprika
    * Cooking Spray

METHOD

   1. Preheat oven to 350˚F with rack in the middle.
   2. Cook bacon according to package directions. Let cool, crumble up a few pieces and set aside.
   3. Gently remove stems from the mushrooms. Chop stems into small pieces.
   4. Spray a small non stick skillet. Over medium heat sauté mushroom stems, chives, thyme with garlic salt, pepper and smoked paprika for a few minutes. Mushrooms should be nice and soft. Remove from heat.
   5. In a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons bacon crumbles with mushroom mixture. If you are filling mushrooms with two types of cheese then divide mixture in two. I added Parmesan to one bowl & brie to the other. (see note above)
   6. Place mushroom caps snugly onto a baking sheet or baking pan.
   7. With a small spoon gently fill the mushrooms with mixture(s).
   8. Top each stuffed mushroom with the remainder of the cheese and bacon crumbles.
   9. Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
  10. Garnish with some extra cheese and chopped chives.


Variations

    * To make these for the Jewish holidays (Hanukkah) – simply omit the pork bacon and use turkey or vegetarian options.
    * Instead of Thyme, fresh Rosemary would be an excellent choice.
    * Cheese choices: Gorgonzola, Blue Cheese, Romano, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gruyére, etc. The list can go on and on!

Stuffed Mushroom Recipe Links

    * Classic Herbed Stuffed Mushrooms Babble.com
    * Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms Ezra Poundcake
    * Stuffed Mushrooms Easy French Food
    * Stuffed Mushrooms Pham Fatale
    * Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms Polwig
    * Stuffed Mushrooms with Smoked Pancetta Lucullian and Delights

What are Clone or Copycat Restaurant Recipes?

Ever wonder what clone restaurant recipes are and whether they are really as good as the real thing?  As a personal chef I have.  They are supposed to be an exact duplicate or copy of the dishes you order from your favorite restaurant. My conclusion is that some are like the creations they represent and some are not.

Many home cooks replicate clone restaurant recipes in their own kitchens.  They are able to make the food taste like the real thing.  There are secret recipe cookbooks that are written by personal chefs or commercial cooks who have researched and tested various methods to come up with their own versions of dishes from famous eateries.

I, myself wondered about recipe secrets, so I invested in a couple of cookbooks that contain clone restaurant recipes from some of America's most popular eating places.  For the most part, they are simple and easy to make in your own kitchen.  Others are more complicated for new home cooks and take a great deal of time to prepare.

Even for more established cooks and personal chefs, demystifying these copycat recipe secrets can be a challenge.  However, there is great joy in having prepared a menu that includes a clone restaurant recipe that tastes like you would expect when you order it.

There is one e-cookbook that I swear by.  America's Most Wanted Recipes, written by Ron Douglas, has some of the best copycat recipes ever tried.  Check out this VIDEO where he talks about his book and, one of my favorite recipes, Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Stop Treating Your Business Like a Hobby!

Stop Treating Your Business Like a Hobby!

Southern Fried Okra

Saw this recipe online and decided to post it here.  It is quick and easy and turns out a good product.  As I noted at the bottom of the recipe, I add a half cup of panko to the cornmeal-flour mixture for extra crispiness.
 
Southern Fried Okra


Ingredients:
1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten (OPTIONAL)
1 cup cornmeal (plain, not self-rising)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup all-purpose flour (OPTIONAL)
½ teaspoon black pepper
Oil for frying (approx 4 - 6 cups)
~ If you'd like a spicier version, add ground cayenne pepper, onion & garlic powder to the cornmeal mixture or directly on the okra.

Preparation:
Wash okra; drain & cut off tips. Cut pods crosswise into 1/2-inch slices (another option, try cutting lengthwise too!).

Coat okra in salt, pepper & cornmeal mixture (should still be damp from just being washed). You can go straight to fryer at this point or continue with the next step & add egg if you'd like a thicker breading.

In a bowl, combine beaten eggs; add okra and stir to coat all pieces well. Then re-dip okra pieces into cornmeal mixture to coat well.

Heat oil in a frying pan or deep fryer to 350°-375°. Fry okra in batches until browned, about 4 to 6 minutes for each batch. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Okra is delicious food and I  add 1/2 cup panko to fry mine; makes it even better!