How To Clean Catfish
Ask most fishermen what their favorite fish to eat is and they will tell you
catfish. Ask them what their least favorite fish to clean is and they will tell
you catfish!
There is an easy method for cleaning catfish, that will change the way
fishermen feel about cleaning them.
The old way to clean a catfish taught you to "gut" the fish and then nail it
to a board to skin it using pliers to pull the tough skin off. What a CHORE!!
To clean a catfish:
- Wipe the whole fish dry with a paper towel.
- With a sharp knife remove the dorsal adipose, and pectoral fins.
- Fillet both sides of the fish with a sharp knife. (the skin is still on
the fish at this point)
- Place one of the fillets skin side down onto a cutting board.
- Make a cut through the meat only (not the skin) about ¼ inch up from the
tail.
- If you are right handed press down on the fillet with your left hand right
behind the cut you just made.
- Place the blade of the knife into the cut at a 45° angle (towards the head
of the fish) against the skin.
- Push the knife forward, seperating the skin from the meat.
- Repeat this with the other fillet.
- You now have two boneless, skinless catfish fillets.
Enjoy!