Farmed Catfish Tastes Better Than Wild And Is Better For The Environment!

[BlooInBloo]

I can't imagine anything possibly going wrong with this thread. :P

I wish they had catfish in WA. :(

http://food.theatlantic.com/cooking-from-the-south/with-catfish-farm-raised-beats-wild.php

Raised in Mississippi, I grew up thinking there were only three freshwater fish in the world--catfish, perch, and bream. Catfish was my favorite of the three.

...

I am proud to report catfish remains in my top five favorites. Like Natchez Under the Hill, though, modern times and technology has taken away some of its wildness. Before catfish was farm-raised, it often had a bit of a taste of the wild--even a hint of Mississippi River mud.

United States farm-raised catfish has actually improved on something I already loved. Unlike the farm-raising of salmon, which has created a host of problems by taking a migratory fish and putting it in a closed environment, catfish has improved and flourished in a controlled environment. The end result is a better taste. I am also proud to report, with Mississippi often being in the lower numbers for many things, that we are doing great things with the sustainable fish and seafood industry.

Until I started to cook and attended culinary school, I was content with corn meal-battered, fried catfish. Truth be told, it is still hard to beat thinly-sliced catfish fillets, dredged in corn flour and fried in peanut oil, served with some hush puppies and jalapeno tartar sauce. But I began to experiment and now have dozens of favorite ways to prepare catfish.

With the texture and mildness of catfish, it has become increasingly more versatile. Specializing in contemporary Southern cooking, I try to stay true to local ingredients. I love a hint of smoke with fish and think there should always be a bit of citrus in a fish dish. Combining the smoked tomato coulis with the tartness of the black-eyed pea vinaigrette became a signature recipe for me right away.

[NNN0LHI]

1. There isn't a better meal as long as you got some hush puppies and coleslaw to go with it

I like my cat cut into about two inch chunks and deep fried. Oops, almost forgot. With a diet Pepsi.

Life doesn't get any better.

Don

[Fire1]

2. THAT'S good eatin! n/t

[Fire1]

3. Dupe.

[gatorboy]

11. That reminds me. I have some catfish in the freezer that needs to be prepared for eatin'!.

Normally I like my catfish grilled in cajun spices but I might bread this latest batch.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Have I told you I hate you lately?

:P

[gatorboy]

18. I've got 6 large catfish steaks ready to go.

Bring the lemon and you're more than welcome! :)

[BlooInBloo]

21. Hatred. Envy. Loathing. Jealosy...

All things I'm feeling right now.

Enjoy! :)

[gatorboy]

65. You should be happy to know that my 2 year old daughter stole most of my fish.

She ate 2 whole fillets and left me with the scraps. I had to fill up on potatoes and asparagus because of the little carnivore.

[Skidmore]

20. Add watermelon and corn on the cob and perhaps some

rice...now that's a perfect meal.

Nothing beats a good mess of catfish.

[slampoet]

4. The Article says NOTHING about farmed catfish being better for the environment than wild catfish.

Change the headline please.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Yah, I got that bit from the Atlantic food tweet....

http://twitter.com/ezraklein

"RT @Atlantic_Food farm-raised catfish taste better than the wild version--and it's better for the environment, too."

And no, I won't change the subject line.

[slampoet]

45. So your source is a tweet that has no citation and refers to the same article.

[BlooInBloo]

60. Yep - that's how I learned of the article.

[csziggy]

5. How much catfish is still farmed in the US?

There used to be a lot of catfish farms here in the SE - we'd drive by dozens in South Georgia fifteen years ago. But with the severe droughts, most of those closed, leaving intermittently dry ponds to breed mosquitoes but that also attract waterfowl and hunters.

The last few times I looked at farmed catfish at the store, both "fresh" and frozen, it was farmed in SE Asia. I will not buy any farm fish or seafood from SE Asia - I don't trust their quality control and have read too many bad things about their conditions.

I do love catfish - I have a recipe for Catfish Florentine that is wonderful!

[Shell Beau]

24. There is still a bunch in the MS delta.

[DCKit]

66. Didn't want to poop on the thread, but you got here first.

In asia, they use fungicides, herbicides, antibiotics, pesticides and all kinds of chemicals that would be forbidden in any U.S. operation.

IF the label clearly states "U.S." as the source, I'll buy it in a heartbeat. Otherwise, it's "No Sale". It's been a year since I last saw "U.S. Farm Raised" on ANY fish.

[LostInAnomie]

6. It's a cleaner tasting meat, IMHO.

But, it really depends on your tastes.

[KittyWampus]

7. Wild v. Farmed. It's a great topic!

In the debate as presented below, I'd concede that superiority of taste between the two is entirely subjective.


Wild vs. Farmed

Wild versus Farmed? What's the difference?

We do know that fish is important for our health. However, this is a complex issue. Logically we'd think farm-raised would be better for our environment and better for us.
snip

Let's look at Farmed Salmon. Since Farmed Salmon are fed pellets instead of what they eat in the wild, three elements are affected:
1. First, the food that they normally eat in the wild converts into powerful omega 3s for us; the farm raised salmon doesn't have as high nutritional value.
2. Second, the food they eat naturally helps them turn that beautiful pink color to which we are accustomed; the farm raised are therefore fed colorings.
3. Finally, the food they eat affects how they taste and there is truly no comparison in flavor or texture.


When choosing to eat fish, we must consider:
1. The importance of fish to our health with valuable Omega-3s, protein, low fat.
2. The sustainability of the fish, that it is not overfished and that it is safe for our environment.
3. The health of the fish and the life of the fish (what it eats, how it lives).
4. Cost. We really can't afford to eat farmed salmon.
5. Taste.

snip

It is also important that we make sure THE FISH is healthy and therefore truly healthful. Farm-raised fish are raised in small pens in the ocean secured by nets or in ponds, depending upon the fish species. As with most industries, maximizing revenues is key so they will stock a pond with as many fish as they can leaving very little room for the fish to move about freely and they are fed pellets of food instead of their natural food (sounds like the chicken and cattle scenarios all over again). This, in turn, doesn't allow them to use their muscles naturally nor convert their natural food into powerful Omega 3s for us. Therefore, farm-raised fish doesn't have the health benefits of Wild fish. Therefore, farm-raised salmon doesn't have the color of natural salmon and they are fed colorings to help make the salmon palatable for our plates.

"Wild salmon become pink by eating sea creatures like krill, which contain a carotenoid called astaxanthin. Farmed salmon are naturally grayish but turn pink when they are fed various sources of astaxanthin, including one that is chemically synthesized and others that originate from yeast or microalgae." NY Times, Marian Burros

And since they are crammed in next to one another, disease can spread quickly so they are fed antibiotics. And they are infested with sea lice, 30,000 times more than normal! Then they get out of their pens and wreak havoc on our delicate ecosystem. These farmed fish consume more of our natural resources and infest other salmon with sea lice and other diseases.
snip

[BlooInBloo]

10. I thought it was a topic the whole family could enjoy.

:P

[KittyWampus]

13. This thread is definitely making me hungry. Although I did have fresh striped bass last night

[BlooInBloo]

14. lolz! Me too - I'm just thinking about what to eat now.

:rofl:

[KittyWampus]

16. there's always canned tuna.

Mmmmmm, mercury.

[BlooInBloo]

19. Don't have any. I'm thinking I'll order out for indian.

[KittyWampus]

22. Bugger. Indian food is my absolute favorite and the nearest place is at least 1.5 hours away.

[BlooInBloo]

23. Doh. Eat24hours.com has been a godsend for me, finding new delivery places...

http://eat24hours.com/

A little overbalanced on the indian restaurant selection, but if that's the worst part of my life, then I'm doing pretty damn good.

[RebelOne]

9. There was a restaurant in Iuka, Mississippi

that I visited once that raised its own catfish. For just a few dollars, you could have all the catfish, hushpuppies and cole slaw you could eat. It was absolutely delicious.

[BlooInBloo]

12. Score. Reminds me of an old hick place in western PA - "Peechins"...

Same gist, but different style of cooking.

[NNN0LHI]

17. Swamp Johns Catfish by any chance?

[Shell Beau]

25. We Mississippians know catfish!!! For sure!

[formercia]

26. It all depends on what kind of Catfish we're talking about.

When I lived on the shore of Albemarle Sound in NC, I used to fish for Channel Catfish that were lurking behind schools of baby Herring. I would use a small silver Rapala floating plug and cast on the trailing edge of the school. Those Cats lived on fresh Herring and they beat anything you could buy in the fish market.

[BlooInBloo]

28. Pfft. If you're not noodling, it doesn't count....

:rofl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL-QcviQGk

[formercia]

30. A good friend almost drowned in the Red River in OK doing that

He shoved his fist into the mouth of an estimated 80 LB. Flathead. He lost his footing and it dragged him about a hundred yards before his companions caught up with him and pulled him to the surface.

[BlooInBloo]

32. Wow! A big'un! Glad he's ok.

[formercia]

33. It didn't stop him

He vowed never to try it alone.

Some people like Flathead Cats but I couldn't develop a taste for it. I have to admit, there's lots of meat.

The only fish I could never eat was Alligator Gar.

[BlooInBloo]

34. Oh wow - I didn't realize people actually ate gar. We always threw them back.

[formercia]

36. I cut one open to see if there was any good meat.

I thought a Carp smelled bad, but a Gar is downright revolting. Being armor plated makes it a real challenge to gut.

[paulsby]

27. what about nutrition?

farm raised salmon has a vastly inferior EFA profile. what is the nutrititional profile of farm raised catfish vs. wild catfish?

i have no idea, but imo that's important to consider and is nowhere mentioned by the OP.

[BlooInBloo]

29. I have no idea. That never enters into my food deliberations.

[paulsby]

63. fair enough

i am a weight classed athlete and pay a lot of attention to what i eat, because it greatly affects performance (as well as health).

i have NO problem eating "crap". i'll eat a big mac on occasion, or even a big bag of potato chips. or i'll fry up some plantains or onion rings. that's fine. it's (mostly) junk, but i KNOW it's junk and factor that into my overall equations.

but what i don't want is a food that i can't factor. for example, if i am going to eat fish, i realize it has some drawbacks in regards to red meat (fish has little to no creatine, inferior mineral profile, etc. etc.) and some benefits.

but if i am eating , for example, tilapia and it's FARM raised, it's actually higher in arachinoic acid than most cuts of red meat. that;'s a huge difference. anyway. i LOVE catfish. local bbq joint here actually has great fried catfish. good to hear they have found a way to farm it effectively.

here's a fun fact. catfish "cry". i used to fish and catfish are unique among all the fish i caught, in that they make this sound that sounds like somebody crying. it's really disturbing.

[ThomWV]

31. Catfish only tastes right when the fish has been caught on a Cane Pole.

[virginia mountainman]

35. Boy o Boy! I love Catfish.

Just about anyway I can get it!

Fresh caught from the river, farm raised, batter dipped, blackend, or "salt -n- peppered"


MMMMMM!!!! :9

[BlooInBloo]

37. Balckened catfish fettucine alfredo is THE SHIT.

[ThomWV]

41. Fried catfish, black-eyed peas, grits, and some fresh sliced tomato are the perfect meal.

Served with hushpuppies of course and if you insist on eating greens some Collards will do nicely (with just a drop of vinegar). I'll have mine with sweet-tea, thank you very much.

[BlooInBloo]

43. :)))) I don't do BEP myself, but rock on.

[ThomWV]

56. I've done the blackened atop t he F/A - Scrumptious!

But I will eat blackened anything and try to get more of it.

[ohheckyeah]

38. The last farm raised catfish I ate was disgusting.

I guess the quality depends on where you get it and where it was raised. I like catfish fine but I'll stick to trout. Nothing better than fresh mountain trout grilled over mesquite.

[BlooInBloo]

39. 1. crab 2. seared pepper crusted ahi 3. catfish 4. lobster 5. prawns. 6. everything else...

As far as my tastes go. Trout is "just fish" to me - ok, but whatever. I guess I like the meatiness of halibut a little bit extra.

EDIT: I've really got food on the brain at the moment.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

51. Hell, I just eat ahi raw.

That stuff is fantastic.

[ohheckyeah]

64. My husband caught a couple of 7 pound

trout. One brown and one golden - they were plenty meaty. I like crab and lobster, too.

[KakistocracyHater]

40. I think that's great! With stationary gps buoys we can have 'farms' in the sea

& oceans, too. Clean it up & do it well, make money & create more jobs. I think maybe 1 day we will grow food for sharks, like we grow birdseed, & feeding areas will be located further away from our shores. They only bite us because we've eaten most of their food. We now have the technology to do this; it may sound strange now, but later....who knows?

[BlooInBloo]

42. Wonder what the analogy to crop rotation would be in that context.

[KakistocracyHater]

46. I don't know, oceanologists? maybe they know?

or some group of scientists?

[TexasObserver]

44. Recommend

[many a good man]

47. Good tastin', but not the prettiest fish in the pond

[BlooInBloo]

49. Heh. Evolution isn't a beauty contest.

[deaniac21]

48. I'll go for the crappie.

[pipi_k]

50. One catfish, two catfish, red catfish, blue catfish...

Wild catfish, tame catfish...

it all sucks, IMO.


Got a BIL who always kept talking about how great it is...tried it once...yech.

Figured maybe we got a bad batch...got more...double yech



About the only thing worse is Bluefish.

:puke:

[KittyWampus]

52. bluefish is oily and only really fit for smoking. Unless you get the little ones called snappers

catfish is kinda bland, IMO. It needs some seasoning mixed in w/flour and a quick fry.

[ThomWV]

57. He's not talking about Bluefish (which are inedible no matter how small)

even smoked, if you ask me. They make dam good Cobia bait though - they stay alive on the hook for a good while.

[pipi_k]

58. Cod is kind of bland too...and haddock

Which I don't mind, really. I'm not much for spicy food. Coat it with smooshed Ritz cracker crumbs, fry it in oil, dip it in tartar sauce...mmmmm....


But there was just something about the overall taste of catfish that was just...I dunno...I can't really say repulsive, but it was sort of icky.

Mr Pip swears that his gourmet cook daughter can make bluefish taste good but I don't know...

[lumberjack_jeff]

53. They do have catfish in WA

Dad grew up in Arkansas. I grew up in Silverdale where we had a pond. He planted a few catfish in it and... well, they liked it. A lot.

I have had my fill of fucking skinning goddamn catfish.

The best way of "catching" said catfish is to tie a half-dozen baited hooks to a purex bottle (or milk jug, if you prefer). I had about three bottles. By the time I'd set the first bottle, the last would be zooming around the pond. I would row around in a raft to collect the catch. The whole process took about 20 minutes.

Cleaning the 12-18 accursed beasties took another hour or two.

[BlooInBloo]

61. Oh - nice!

[cali]

54. brookies and lake trout beat the crap out of catfish.

[billyclem]

55. Forget the catfish, I'll just have some clams, geoduck style....

yummy...and in an emergency they can be used as a club!!!

[pipi_k]

59. That's three clam dinners right there...

I thought I saw Mike Rowe helping to harvest those things on "Dirty Jobs" one time...

Does it scream when you cut it up?

[BlooInBloo]

62. That's all you, tiger. I ain't touchin those.