This week, Allrecipes' cook Stephan, shows Michael how to make his authentic Catfish and Brisket from right out of his food truck in Humble, Texas! Fried catfish is considered a quintessential southern dish along with southern fried chicken, sweet tea, and hushpuppies. Once considered the "food of the Poor," cooks and chefs around the country are now inventing new ways to cook and eat this fish. Small-town restaurants in the south feature fried catfish on their menus. Many urban dwellers have never tasted good catfish but rural fish lovers, especially in the southern states, dote on its sweet flavor. It is the most widely eaten American fish and can be used in any recipe calling for a non-oily white fish, but most southerners prefer it dredged in cornmeal and fried. Hushpuppies are considered an absolute must to serve with fried catfish, along with coleslaw and ketchup.
The recipe is a classic southern recipe that has been modified with Stephen and wife, Sara's own blend of secret spices to make what they consider to be the best catfish around! Start with this easy recipe and add spices to make it your own, including paprika, cayenne and lemon pepper.
View Stephen's Crispy Texas Catfish Recipe at Allrecipes.com >>>
Allrecipes' cook, Stephan was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He has always loved the southern staple foods such as smoked brisket and fried catfish. His first job was in a small seafood restaurant and he has been in the industry since, going on 10 years. He now owns a food truck, appropriately named "Catfish Cove", serving Fried Catfish and Texas Brisket in Humble, Texas.
I loved the idea of a food truck because it's simple - nothing fancy, just good ole food! The truck also allowed us to showcase our excellent catfish.
Q: How can I tell if the fish is fresh?
A: Your senses are your best tool for choosing fresh fish. First choose a likely specimen, and look at it closely. It should look as if it is about to swim away. The skin should be bright and shiny with close fitting scales. A layer of transparent mucus allows the fish to glide through the water when alive, and makes the fish gleam on the shelf. Dry, dull flesh is a sign of age, as are loose scales. The eyes should be clear and bulging; if the fish has sunken or cloudy eyes look for a fresher specimen. Gills should be reddish and damp, not sticky.
Q: What oils are best for deep frying?
A: When deep-frying, it is best to use neutrally flavored oil with a high smoke point, such as safflower or corn oil. The smoke point is the stage at which heated fat begins to emit smoke and acrid odors, and impart an unpleasant flavor to foods. The higher the smoke point, the better suited a fat is for frying. Because both reusing fat and exposing it to air reduces its smoke point, it should be discarded after being used three times. Though processing affects an individual fat's smoke point slightly, the ranges for some of the more common fats are: butter (350 degrees F); lard (361 degrees to 401 degrees F); vegetable shortenings (356 degrees to 370 degrees F); vegetable oils (441 degrees to 450 degrees F)-corn, grapeseed, peanut and safflower oils all have high smoke points, while that of olive oil is relatively low (about 375 degrees F).
Q: What are some alternatives to catfish for batter frying?
A: Usually, inexpensive white fish is used to make fish and chips. However, you can use almost any firm fleshed fish for batter-fried fish. Cod, haddock, halibut, dogfish, catfish, red snapper and flounder are good choices.
"We have sat on the river bank and caught catfish with pin hooks. The time has come to harpoon a whale." ~ John Hope
Gas prices are up, up, and up. The auto industry is flailing just a bit, but one type of vehicle is having a great year. Heck, a great decade! That would be the food truck! Food trucks and street food are ageless fixtures of both urban and rural enclaves around the country and have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity here at home in Seattle, elsewhere in the U.S., and definitely in Humble, Texas, home of Catfish Cove. These are not your Roach Coaches of days gone - from gourmet cupcakes to wood-fired pizzas, food trucks have expanded past the usual choices of burritos or tacos.
Here in Humble, Texas, we headed over to the Catfish Cove food truck, where it sits inconspicuously on a corder, attracting drivers going by with the smell of frying catfish and Texas Brisket. Stepping inside, I got to see just how it all comes together. It can get a bit hot inside with the deep fryers working overtime to keep up with the orders, but mmmm, the smells (and the stolen bits of southern goodness) make it worth it.
I have to say, I love the concept and I love the food! And there's a cost benefit as well, eating satisfying meals outdoors, among the smart and sociable (myself included), at considerable remove from hefty restaurant checks. Will the rise of the food truck save our auto industry? Most likely not, but their hard working and hard cooking crews can at least remind us that not all is wrong on the American highway.
And as Stephan, accomplished enterpreneur that he is reminds me, a business with significantly less overhead and food cost than comparable restaurants is very attractive in a less-than-sunny economic climate. The low start-up costs also means that Stephan and others can be free to take greater risks with their fare. In this case, I call it a success! Thanks for the delicious southern eats, Stephan and Sara!>
Catfish Cove
Catfish Cove was conceptualized with the idea of creating a place where people could go enjoy good, honest food. You won’t find any fussy stuff here, just good old-fashioned country-fried catfish and Texas brisket. We bread our thick catfish filets with a light cornbread crust that is seasoned just right so you can taste the flakiness of the fish and still get that crunch you have been craving. Our brisket is smoked for over 12 hours with real hickory wood and beer, for a difference you can taste. Try us out, and you will keep coming back.
An Appropriate Jingle
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