[Aliska]

Does the pressure cooker mush them up and soften the bones like the canning process does to salmon? Otherwise, I'd rather just have it fried (will try a pat of butter in olive oil, never have the right oil, enough of it, or it's getting stale).

Those bones I'm super careful with them. I coughed one back up but was just lucky. I think it would take a major bone to endanger your life but those smaller ones can make you mighty miserable; can't imagine how you'd get rid of them.

I have to be really careful when I cook whole catfish (I bake it w/spices usually). I don't like breading stuff to fry. HOWEVER, there are some recipes for oven baked breaded catfish filets and the one we tried worked well, the usual egg wash, cracker crumbs mixed with flour and corn meal. Spray the sheet pan with some cooking spray, put the breaded filets on. Then spray the tops of the filets with cooking spray.

It worked and I'd do it again but I'd wipe the excess spray off the sheet pan B4 baking because it gets to smoking before those very large catfish filets are cooked through.

Could do it with the Asian carp filets, bread and bake.

[Terry Mross]

As I understand it will be just like salmon patties.

The best way to fry fish is with cornmeal, salt, black and red pepper. No egg wash or garlic ..... Simple is Best.

[piasa]

I have to be really careful when I cook whole catfish (I bake it w/spices usually). I don't like breading stuff to fry.

Try just dipping your catfish in milk and then into House of Autry's seasoned seafood breader [or season the moist fish with salt, pepper, paprika or red pepper, and a little pinch of garlic... and dredge in Masa corn meal which is a fine meal... or even corn flour.] Fry in a just enough oil to go halfway up the fillet... then flip. Makes a very delicate light thin coat, not like the thick bready stuff.

Or saute fillets that have been coated with mayonnaise and seasoned.

For folks who like a medium coating or when using fish that came from murky water, dredge the fish in buttermilk, then seasoned corn meal mix.

And for a thick crunchy coating dredge the fish in corn starch, then buttermilk, then seasoned corn meal mix.

I don't like catfish in beer batter at all because it is too tender, and it is so perfect with corn meal why not just use it. Tilapia is good with either, and both are good jsut coated with mayo, seasoned and pan fried in an iron skillet with no breading at all. But Asian carp would likely be very good in beer batter or tempura as its texture is more like tilapia but its flavor is lighter.