A Classic Southern (South Carolina) recipe with catfish, tomatoes, chilis and bacon.
Ty, Oakley and I went fishing a couple days ago on Lake Whitney, Texas with our friends Wes & Cailtin Hitt. We were fishing for striped bass. Ty has just reeled in the largest bass yet when Wes caught an even bigger blue catfish. Then of course, the guys started a bragging competition of who caught the biggest fish. Technically, Wes caught the biggest fish but our guide, Clay, threw in a “Wes, were on a striper fishing trip not a catfish trip.” Ty liked that ha ha.
Anyways, I was so excited to bring in a few catfish so I could make catfish stew. All you can eat fried catfish nights are offered in restaurants all over Texas, but I’ve never seen catfish stew on the menu.
I’m from Lancaster, SC and at big get togethers catfish stew would be served. We would catch catfish with stink bait off the dock on Catawba River. It is truly so stinky lol! When we didn’t have catfish one day, my Daddy decided to use canned salmon in this stew recipe. It’s absolutely delicious and I share the recipe in my cookbook, Southern Fried Skinnyfied. You could also use another whitefish filet if you don’t have catfish.
I hope ya’ll love it as much as we do! Ty and his Dad were both hesitant when I said I was making Salmon or Catfish Stew but they love it. Check out Butch’s reaction at the end of the video.
Catfish Stew
Course: SoupsCuisine: SouthernDifficulty: Easy8
servings5
minutes50
minutesA southern classic with catfish, tomatoes, chilis and bacon.
Ingredients
6 catfish filets
3 (or more) slices of bacon
1 onion, diced
3-4 cups of diced potatoes
1 can of rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can of tomato puree or tomato soup
1 can of hot green chilies* optional
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper
Directions
- Fry bacon in a large soup pot. When crispy, remove from the pot.
- Sautee onion in bacon drippings for 5 minutes.
- Add potato to the pot.
- Cover the potato with water (about an inch over the potatoes)
- Add the diced tomatoes & green chilies, tomato puree, and can of green chiles if using.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
- Add fish filets to the pot and boil for 10 more minutes.
- Remove the filets to a bowl and shred with a fork or shred in the pot if they are falling apart.
- Add fish back to the soup.
- Crumble bacon and stir into the pot.
- Season with garlic powder, salt & pepper.
- Cover, turn heat to low and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve with cornbread, crackers, or cheese biscuits.
Love this recipe. I added shrimp, corn cut off the cob, and zucchini and its wonderful. Also tried it without bacon for a vegetarian meal, still delicious.