Catfish in Houston

[fifi]

Alison Cook reviewed the new Sudies in League City this week. Since this is just down the road from me, I intend to try it out. I watched with interest as this place was built. Alison's description of the hush puppies are calling to me. I will report back. The only problem is... I may be comparing the catfish to the thin fried catfish at Middendorf's at Pass Manchac in Louisiana.

Edited October 3, 2003 by fifi (log)

[jscarbor]

Thelma's catfish is right up there with the best I have ever had.

[KAPDADDY]

Yes, Thelma certainly knows how to do catfish. Her barbecue is very hit or miss, but her catfish is consistantly delish.

[Lone Star]

I have been to the new Sudies (League City) twice, and the catfish is wonderful. It is thin and crispy, with the occasional meatier pieces thrown in.

It is served family style if you get the "all you can eat". The hush puppies are good, but could stand a little more onion in my opinion. Coleslaw is not to sweet and very fresh. The pinto beans are marvelous - cooked with ham, salt and pepper, the way they should be. I also had the green tomato relish as a side dish and it was a little sweet, but good. But all in all, the sides are just an enhancement to all of the hot, crispy catfish!

Oh yes, you can also have "sweet" or "unsweetened tea". Somehow it just seems right to have sweet tea with that meal.

The blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert - awesome. I did not think I had anyroom for dessert, but managed to polish off half of it.

The location is great for stopping for a late lunch or dinner after spending a day in Galveston.

[fifi]

Thanks for the review on Sudie's. I STILL haven't been there. Now, I may be prompted to go. Thin and crispy caught my eye. I am glad to hear that the coleslaw is not too sweet. Actually, I prefer my coleslaw not sweet at all but search for that anywhere out of my kitchen seems to be futile so I will often settle for not-too-sweet.

[Mabelline]

LONE STAR, thanks for that review! I'm transplanted to Montana, it's about 16 and snowing and I just imagined that meal before sitting down to turkey and blackeyes soup with jalapeno cheese bread and pickled okra and corn relish! I may go out and howl at the moon when I've ate. There's gooood catfish at Calhoun and Bee Bayou in la. too.

[Mayhaw Man]

LONE STAR, thanks for that review! I'm transplanted to Montana, it's about 16 and snowing and I just imagined that meal before sitting down to turkey and blackeyes soup with jalapeno cheese bread and pickled okra and corn relish! I may go out and howl at the moon when I've ate. There's gooood catfish at Calhoun and Bee Bayou in la. too.

Bee Bayou? It's not even on the map (although they do have an exit, a water tower, and a rail crossing for the MOPAC). Is there anywhere to eat there?

[Mabelline]

Yep, should be. I'll check later and make sure, okay?I'm finally goin' to eat...

[fifi]

There is nothing at Pass Manchac either, except Middendorf's... the palace of thin (and I mean thin) fried catfish.

[Mabelline]

I got to thinking about it , and the last time I was there was 97, and I used to pull off there so I could check on racehorses(such as are there the same # we left the house with?) Just a shack kind of outfit with BEE BAYOU on top. And Hell, by now it could be a truckstop-casino (by the way, what do you reckon the people makin' sense of Blackeyed Peadom would make of the devilishly twisted law whereby a casino is on the river unless it's at a truckstop? I always figured the G.O.B.'s had truckstops)!

[Mayhaw Man]

I got to thinking about it , and the last time I was there was 97, and I used to pull off there so I could check on racehorses(such as are there the same # we left the house with?) Just a shack kind of outfit with BEE BAYOU on top. And Hell, by now it could be a truckstop-casino (by the way, what do you reckon the people makin' sense of Blackeyed Peadom would make of the devilishly twisted law whereby a casino is on the river unless it's at a truckstop? I always figured the G.O.B.'s had truckstops)!

Just to clear up a muddy point-

The bizarre system of truck stop casinos (which I took great pleasure in explaining to the Perlow's as we passed about twenty of them on our little trip) is a little hard to understand. In order to have more than a certain number of video poker machines in one place (aka video crack) one must sell diesel fuel and have a certain number of pumps. It is a truly bizarre little part of an agreement that gave us Riverboat Casinos and the big one on Canal St. in New Orleans. Truck stops can only have video poker.

Incidentally, John Besh, James Beard award winner and former chef at Artesia, Vicky Bailey's little restaurant in tiny, one stop light Abita Springs (I can walk there, which is nice) just opened a steakhouse inside Harrah's. I had dinner there a week or so ago and it was very good as far as steakhouses go, but still does not have the ambience or people watching entertainment value of the original Ruth's Chris on Broad St in New Orleans. It was very good however and I would do it again if invited (I don't gamble so am not likely to go unless invited).

[Mabelline]

Yep, diesel fumes have always made ME want to gamble. I too, am not a gambler-life's big enough at that- but I always pictured a group sittin' around throwing out what would make the strangest gamblin laws. By the way, you did not illuminate the conclusion the Perlows came to.

[Lone Star]

Louisiana laws and lawmaking are a different thing altogether from anything in the civilized states.

[fifi]

I had lunch today at Denis on Westheimer. They were touting that they only serve wild caught catfish from the Atchafalya basin in Louisiana. I bit. I ordered the fried filets. To my surprise they were absolutely fantastic. This was the best catfish that I have had since my last pilgrimage to Middendorf's in Pass Manchac LA. There was absolutely none of the muddy flavor that I am beginning to think comes from farm raised catfish. My companion had the blackened catfish and declared it excellent. I didn't get a taste because I think he would have cut off my arm if I tried to snag a morsel. Has anyone else been there?

[Mabelline]

fifi, I truly believe that catfish is 100% better when you have put it in a bag of STRONG saltwater in your freezer. Ziplocks. Then thaw them out without rinsing, get your oil HOT dip them in a tempura style batter. They are even better the next day, FROM THE FRIDGE. I don't know of any other way of cooking them where they'll taste good cold.

[fifi]

Does the brining mitigate the muddy taste? Ever so often the stores around here have some fantastic sales on catfish "nuggets". We have bought these and used them for fish fries for a crowd. They were OK but not great. Still that hint of a muddy taste. And I am sure that because of the price they were farm raised. I brine a lot of things but have never tried it on catfish because we usually buy it and fry it up right away.

[Mabelline]

Oh, yes fifi. The catfish I used were from my trotline on the Brazos at Tintop Bridge south of Weatherford. The biggest we caught that way were 28, 59, & 78 pounds. I did every one of them that way. Farm raised cats have that whang from their food. But I have brined with success on 'em. Just remember that they need to totally freeze, then slowly thaw, then batter or bread and fry. My personal favorite is Bootsy Landry's, hands down, made liquid with beer. Betcha Sandra Lee will invent this in a little while!!??!!

[Dana]

fifi--You might try getting catfish fillets instead of buying the 'nuggets'. The 'nuggets' most stores sell are bellies, not the best part of the fish. IMHO, 'nuggets are good for cat food, and that's about it.

[fifi]

Ah ha. I didn't know that about the nuggets. That makes sense. From now on I will stick with the fillets.

That freezing technique is totally new to me Mabelline. I will be doing that.

[Mabelline]

Remember me telling you all about my Lewis and Clark cookbooks/histories? Well, check this out:"JULY 27,1804- Two of our men last night caught nine catfish that would together weigh 300#. The large catfish are caught in the Missouri with hook and line.--Gass" Taken fromThe Lewis and Clark Cookbook, by Leslie Mansfield.

[Lone Star]

My granparents ran a fishing camp on Lake Buchanan, and my grandfather ran the trot lines every day so they had tons of fish. My grandmother always froze the fish in milk cartons filled with salty water. I guess the ziploc bags are a more efficient way to do it now though! We would have a big old fish fry several times a year and it was always wonderful.

I have had problems with getting my cornmeal to "stick". Last weekend we had a small fish fry and I used self rising cornmeal and it made a very nice crust, but I really prefer plain old cornmeal. Any suggestions?

[fifi]

A few years ago we had this big catered fish fry for a project group, about 100 of us. This guy had this really big trailer that was his cooking rig. The fry pot held about 20 gallons. I think he used a Crisco like substance. The fish was divine. He had the filets soaking in what he claimed was half milk and half Tabasco then tossed with what looked like cornmeal. I suspect it was that Zatarain's fish fry mix. I don't know what is in that stuff but it seems to be popular. Don't let the Tabasco fool you. The fish really wasn't spicy, just good.

[Mabelline]

I think the main thing about breading with cornmeal is that it sometimes doesn't meld into what's being cooked, like a wheat product. I like to use a real fine corn flour- that's why I used Bootsie Landry's- it makes up good, tastes great (and I cannot get it up here in trout country) and is really a lot less messy.

Lone Star, I'm so glad to hear you say that- about the salty frozen water trick. I learned it myself from one of my trotline pals-all 75 years of him!!

[QuinaQuen]

Thanks for the review on Sudie's. I STILL haven't been there. Now, I may be prompted to go. Thin and crispy caught my eye. I am glad to hear that the coleslaw is not too sweet. Actually, I prefer my coleslaw not sweet at all but search for that anywhere out of my kitchen seems to be futile so I will often settle for not-too-sweet.

Hey, hon, stop by my place (it's a little pizza joint next to 59 Diner on Norfolk, at the risk of advertising) and ask for me. I'll make you some creamless, subtly sweet slaw that'll knock your socks off. If you want my fried catfish, which is to any restaurant's offerings around here as XO cognac is to Strawberry Hill, that'll take a little more notice. We don't have a deep fryer.

[QuinaQuen]

I think the main thing about breading with cornmeal is that it sometimes doesn't meld into what's being cooked, like a wheat product. I like to use a real fine corn flour- that's why I used Bootsie Landry's- it makes up good, tastes great (and I cannot get it up here in trout country) and is really a lot less messy.

Lone Star, I'm so glad to hear you say that- about the salty frozen water trick. I learned it myself from one of my trotline pals-all 75 years of him!!

It's as easy as adding a little bit of all-purpose flour to the cornmeal. Depending on how much you're frying and how much oil volume you're working, a little garlic powder doesn't hurt the dredge any, either.

1 hint: cheap beer and acidic hotsauce break down the surface protein enough to make the dredge stick better. Give it an hour or two at least. Neither one will add much flavor, no matter how hot the sauce, but the texture difference is what it's all about. Just don't use malt liquor. It imparts a truly foul artificial banana taste (yeah, I did that once. Now it's just for drinkin').