Smoked Catfish Pate Recipes

Steps:

• To smoke bluefish: Build a small charcoal fire in one-third of a grill fitted with a lid. When the coals are covered with gray ash and the fire is at medium heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 3 to 4 seconds), add a handful of the wet hickory chips to the fire. Rub the fish with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place the fish, flesh side down, on the grill directly over the coals. Cook, covered, for 4 minutes, then transfer to the side of the grill without coals. Cover the grill and cook until the fish is opaque all the way through, about 6 minutes more. Remove the fish and let cool completely.
• Make the pâté: Flake the bluefish into the bowl of a food processor, discarding the skin. Add the cream cheese, butter and Cognac and pulse to combine. Add the onions, the strained juice of half the lemon and a pinch each of salt and pepper, then pulse again to combine. The purée should straddle the consistency line between a pâté and a mousse. Season with hot pepper sauce and more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for a day or two.
• Serve the cold pâté in ramekins or turn out onto plates, accompanied by crackers, sliced baguette or pumpernickel.

Steps:

• Combine the buttermilk and hot sauce in a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish. Add catfish fillets and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the catfish from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels.
• Set up your grill for indirect heat at a medium-low temperature, about 275 degrees F.
• Mix together the oregano, lemon peel and salt, pepper, in a small bowl. Lightly coat the fish with olive oil and sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the catfish fillets.
• Put the catfish on the grill away from the hot coals. Smoke the catfish until it is fully cooked through and golden brown, about for 45 minutes. Remove the fish from the grill to a serving platter and serve with the Orange Dill Cream Sauce.
• Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl and serve with the smoked catfish.

Steps:

• Brine and smoke catfish according to recipe. While still warm, break fillets into pieces, removing any bones. Add cream cheese and mix well. Add ½ cup of the sour cream and mix well. Add the shallots, capers, caper juice, garlic and Tabasco. Taste for seasoning, add more sour cream and/or cream cheese at this point if the pate is a little dry or tastes a little salty. Adjust Tabasco and add freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Note: Do not add any salt to this dish because the brine and the smoke "salts" the fish before it is mixed into the pate.
• Let chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. Taste once more before serving and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve on the cold side of room temperature on homemade melba toast (slice a loaf of French bread in small rounds, lay out on a cookie sheet and bake in a 250ºF oven until golden and the bread is dried out) or your favorite crackers. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a bit of caviar if desired.
• Serves 4-10 as an appetizer.

Steps:

• Place catfish in a 2-qt. microwave-safe dish; drizzle with water. Cover and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Drain and discard cooking liquid. Using a fork, flake fish into small pieces; set aside. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and spreadable cheese until smooth. Add the onions, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings and mix well. Stir in the crab, shrimp and catfish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with vegetables.

Steps:

• Remove and discard any skin on the fish. Place the fish in a medium sized bowl and flake it with a fork. Add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the mayo and stir until well blended , and the pate is a consitency of your liking (we like ours quite chunky -- almost requiring a spoon) adding more mayo or cream cheese as needed.
• Fold in celery, 1/4 cup of parsley and the onion. Add the lemon juice and hot pepper sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon into serving dish, cover and chill until serving time (at least 1-2 horus up to 48 hours).
• Remove and garnish with additional parsley and capers if using.
• Servie with crackers or for a chunkier pate, use toast points.