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Care, Preparation, and Cooking of Catfish

Catfish Parmigiana

• 1 1/2 pounds catfish fillets, cut into serving pieces
• 1 16 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon basil
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese parsley sprigs

Grease 13 X 9 baking pan with margarine. Arrange fish in dish, and pour spaghetti sauce over the fillets. Sprinkle parsley, basil and mozzarella cheese over the fish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until fish flakes easily. Dust the fillets with parmesan cheese, and serve on heated platter.

Pine Bark Stew

• 6 pounds of catfish fillets
• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 12 small onions, diced
• 1 bottle catsup
• 1 pod red pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pound butter salt and butter
• 12 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and saute onions goldenbrown in drippings. Add a small amount of water, and let onions steam until done.

In a deep kettle, place a layer of fish, then a layer of onions, until all are used. Pour hot water over to barely cover fish and onions.

Add the catsup, red pepper, garlic, butter, salt, pepper and Worcestershire Sauce. Let boil for 20 minutes.

Serve fish with rice, and pour gravy from the stew over rice and fish. Be careful to remove clove of garlic and pepper pod before pouring gravy.

(This recipe was first named pine bark stew because anglers in the South used pine bark to kindle a fire to cook their catch on the creekbanks while the fish were fresh. While the stew simmered over the pine fire, the fishermen continued catching cats.)