Do you soak catfish fillets in brine to remove fishy flavor?
Posted on Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
I love catching catfish, but have had some of the fillets turn out with a very fishy flavor, even with seasonings or marinade. Someone (that really didn’t know what they were talking about) suggested soaking the fillets in saltwater overnight or so.
Will this work?
What’s the proper solution?
Is this correct for grilling the fillets?
Any other tips?
Thanks!
Some people prefer to soak it (the fish) overnight in milk.
Never heard of it.
I eat catfish often-always rolled in corn meal and fried.
To grill a catfish “fillets” suggest a large fish. Perhaps there was too much fat left on the meat prior to cooking? The fish fat does have a strong taste .
Worth a try. I’d try with a little cat instead of good one for fryin. Only thing I use a brine for (saltwater) is pork chops, but that’s just me.
What I do:
- Fillet the catfish
- Roll the fillet in flour
- Dip in an egg/buttermilk (or milk and vinegar mix)
- Then coat with corn meal.
You could try an egg/buttermilk mixture to soak it in over night. Keep playing around with adding and subtracting certain things with your favorite. catfish recipe till you get it how you like it
Took me a few tries to get it how I like it.
Yes, it will work. But, brine is too potent. Just slightly salty water will do. If you soak fish fillets in brine, the meat will become very flaky and very salty and the process is irreversible. Soaking fish fillets overnight is longer than necessary. Five hours is sufficient.
Flesh of freshwater bottom feeders like catfish could have a slight dirt smell/taste. Soaking catfish fillets in saltwater will remove fish’s blood in the flesh through diffusion and help remove the “dirt”/fishy taste. This method is a commonly used restaurant trick/secret that’s not found in cook books.