An old-school Southern recipe for fish stew made with catfish, potatoes, tomatoes and fatback or bacon especially popular in South Carolina.
JUMP TO RECIPEThe last time I was in Texas, I ate my weight in fried catfish (because Lord, them Texans do know how to fry up a catfish!).
There are literally restaurants that specialize in it because catfish are so prevalent (and HUGE!) in Texas so I asked around about Catfish Stew and no one that I talked to had ever heard of it!
I was like... ummm... it's like the state stew of South Carolina (or it should be anyway!). But nope, nobody knew what I was talking about! So maybe Catfish Stew is a regional thing in the South. Like boiled peanuts and macaroni & cheese made with eggs!
Mama and Daddy go fishing. A lot. Their freezer is always stocked with local freshwater goodness like bream, crappy, rock fish (striped bass) and catfish.
Yay for me because Husband doesn't much care for any of it (eating it or fishing for it) so I can always get my fix at their house.
Daddy called me one day asking if I had a recipe for catfish stew because he'd never tried to make it from an actual recipe (we like to just throw stuff in a pot, love on it, and hope for the best!).
I’d never made it before but I'd seen it made plenty so I drove over and we made this pot!
I was lucky enough to grow up with friends who had really country families. Like, old-school - if one's getting a whipping, we all getting a whipping - kind of folks.
They are the reason I know how to scald a hog, how good fresh cream soppin' is and... the basics of how to cook catfish stew!
Recipe for Catfish Stew
Catfish Stew
An old-school Southern recipe for fish stew made with catfish, potatoes, tomatoes and fatback or bacon especially popular in South Carolina.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb thick-cut bacon or fatback, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 lb catfish fillets OR 1.5-2 lbs whole, dressed catfish
Instructions
- Brown bacon or fatback in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Add onions and celery then sauté until onions are tender (3-5 minutes).
- Add tomatoes, ketchup, worcestershire, seasonings and potatoes then stir well. Add water to the pot until potatoes are just submerged.
- Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Directions for using catfish fillets: Cut catfish into bite-sized pieces. then add to broth. Cover then continue cooking for 5 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flaky.
- Directions for using whole, dressed catfish: Add whole, dressed catfish, cover then continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until catfish is cooked through. Remove catfish from the pot then remove the cooked fish from the bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Add cooked catfish back to the stew then gently stir.
- Taste for seasoning then add salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat, cover then allow stew to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Mandy - even better - instead of the vegetable oil in your cast iron skillet, melt butter in it, swirl it around so it's foamy and just starting to turn brown - and then put your batter in. Oh my! The butter makes the outside buttery and crispy and oh so yummy.
ReplyDeleteI have an old skillet sizzled cornbread recipe from an old Crescent Dragonwagon cookbook, and the ingredients are mostly the same (love the buttermilk tanginess) - but her final step with the butter takes it right over the cliff of awesomeness!
I don't have any catfish on hand, do you think tilapia could work as a substitute? Not sure if it would just fall apart while cooking.
ReplyDeleteI think it will work! It probably will fall apart a bit but that's OK!
DeleteHave you ever tried a catfish stew made with tomato juice? I have tasted it and it is good but cant find a recipe. I am going to try yours but may add some sugar to it.
ReplyDeleteRecipe for catfish stew. 1 large can tomato juice large onion and catfish. Saute onion in a little olive oil then add tomatoe juice and bring to a boil. Add bite size chunks of catfish cover and cook on low for about 10 minutes. Serve over white rice. You can also switch out the catfish with 3 cans of salmon bones and all. The salmon stew is better if it sits in the refrigerator overnight. Serve over white rice or cornbread. Salt and pepper both to taste. Salmon stew freezes very well. You will love these recipes!
ReplyDeleteThis might be a stupid question, but is the catfish cooked when you add it in?
ReplyDeleteIt goes in uncooked :)
DeleteMy husband loves catfish, catching and eatin! I make my stew with tomato juice and I add in some old bay! He LOVES it! Also I make him fried catfish nuggets to eat with it, so catfish 2 ways!
ReplyDeleteFound this last week and made it today. I made a triple batch (i have 4teenage boys) and the whole pot disappeared. This is definitely a keeper. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws were straight up low country and my mil always made fish stew with onions sauteed in bacon grease and then a really large bottle of ketchup rinsed out with water. Cook the ketchup on low for an hour or so and it becomes dark and rich and spicy and delicious. Drop in the fish and cook until done. Serve over rice. Super easy and super delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis is basically how my grandfather made it, but he added lots of black pepper. It’s a family tradition for us.
DeleteTry sweetpotatoes instead of the other potatoes.
ReplyDeleteFollowed this exactly and thought it was a little to strong on the tomato sauce side. Ran out of rice eating leftovers so we served it over macaroni noodles and BINGO! The perfect combination. Next time we make this we're adding mixed vegetables and the macaroni noodles, I'm sure this will become a family favorite, thank you for sharing your recipe.
ReplyDeleteI can barely boil water but i made this because our freezer is always loaded with catfish. It is banging is all i can say. My spouse the guru of fried catfish round here told me i did good.
ReplyDelete