TopCats Premium Homemade Catfish Dough Bait

How to catch a catfish in less than 1 minute using TopCats Premium Homemade Catfish Dough Bait.

I've had this video posted on YouTube for sometime so I thought I'd share it with you.

Thousands of frying size catfish have been caught on my magic bait. I formulated it about 15 years ago and it's been going strong ever since.

Lemony Fried Catfish Nuggets


Ingredients

• 5 lbs. fresh catfish fillets
  
• 1/2 gallon of distilled water
• 1 pint of lemon juice, from concentrate
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• seasoning
• peanut or canola oil

Instructions

Dissolve the lemon juice and sea salt in the distilled water using a non-reactive container and soak the catfish fillets for no more than 1 hour.

Test the lemon flavor by using part of one fillet. Cut a few nuggets and dredge the wet morsels in your seasoned flour/cornbread mixture then deep fry at 350 degrees F. until golden brown. By testing the first few nuggets for tartness, you will be able to gauge the strength of the lemon flavor in your fish and make the necessary adjustments.

If the first 'test' batch is a little too tart for your particular taste, you can lightly rinse the rest of the fillets off in clear running tap water for a few seconds to further dilute the lemony flavor. (Don't over rinse.)

The amount of oil you use to cook your nuggets will depend on you. You will need at least enough oil to fry one side of the nuggets at the time -- which also means you will have to turn them over at the proper time to equally fry them on the other side (around 3 to 4 minutes per side).

I personally like the taste of peanut oil so I use it when I can. During a recent event I used an electric 2 gallon deep-fryer and cooked the catfish nuggets at the stated temperature until they floated to the top. That is when I know they are thoroughly cooked.

Last weekend my friends and I cooked up about 40 lbs. of fresh catfish fillets using a couple of different methods and techniques, including this one.

The lemon-flavored nuggets were the most popular. By preparing the nuggets this way I didn't have to use 'lemon-pepper' to season the fish -- just lemon flavor without the pepper. It is especially convenient for those folks who are spice intolerant. And those who do love spices can add their own after the nuggets are fried. Everyone at the dinner table becomes a winner.

You should try this simple way of preparing your next batch of fish. These Lemony Fried Catfish Nuggets will certainly become a big hit at your next party.

Bon Appetit! Ahheee!!

Irish Soda Bread

It wouldn't really be Saint Patrick's Day without some easy to prepare Irish soda bread, would it?

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbs. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir-in 1 cup buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a slightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the top of the loaf. (The cross is symbolic. It is used on Irish soda bread to draw-out evil spirits.)

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

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The following is an excerpt from an article entitled "The History of ... Irish Soda Bread by Nicole Weston dated March 16, 2006. Check it out. She offers some interesting stuff to read.

The original soda breads contained nothing more than flour, buttermilk, baking soda and salt. The buttermilk was leftover from the butter making process and the bread was almost always served with freshly churned butter. Today, the breads often contain ...

Alligator Stew - A Medley of Tender Gator Morsels in A Spicy Tomato Based Stew

Ingredients

• 4 cups alligator meat, cut into small bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbs. parsley
• 1 cup water
• 1- 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a cooking pot add oil and lightly brown the alligator meat. Add chopped vegetables, Rotel tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are wilted. Add water, cover pot and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until meat is tender. Serve over rice.

You can always Google 'alligator meat' and find a few reputable outlets that will be happy to accommodate you on your next order. Here is an example: Alligator All White Tail Meat - 5 lbs.

Atchafalaya Swamp Alligator

When you order your product you should insist on fresh lean meat from young farm-raised gators...and not from an old timer like the one shown here.

A friend of mine who manages an exotic game ranch near New Boston, Texas snapped the first photo while visiting my "coozan" (cousin) down in the swamps of Butte La Rose, Louisiana.

The second photo depicts a 14'1" gator which Carlos had mounted and elevated near the ceiling of his guest lounge. (poor duck)

14'1" Alligator

If you are ever down there [in Butte LaRose] be sure to look him up. He'll treat you so many ways you are bound to like one of 'em. Everyone knows him as Carlos the shrimp man, and yes ... he still sells and delivers door-to-door. He's been doing it for over 40 years. You can't miss his heavy Cajun accent, either ... and his zest for life!

Carlos Daigle - Shrimp Man

In the photo above Carlos is holding a large soft-shell turtle which was caught near his home on the levee road next to the Atchafalaya Swamp in Henderson, Louisiana.

Enjoy!
KT 

Char-grilled Ribeye Steaks on a Bayou Classic Cypress Ceramic Grill

Looks like Spring is nearly upon us here in the south. Folks are planning and planting gardens and cleaning out the old outdoor grill with the anticipation of doing some serious spring-time cooking. That's what life is all about here in the Deep South.

A couple years back, (in Texas speak that means 2 or 3), I visited my oldest son, Scott, in Austin, Texas.

He and his family had just moved into their beautiful new home. Scott (as are all my children) is a great cook and is passionate about it just like his old dad.

That evening, after my arrival, we shopped for about an hour at a near0by H.E.B  store. (God, I love those H.E.B. stores. I wish there was one near here in NE Texas where I live.)

Scott, who is an excellent saucier, wanted to not only share his new steak sauce recipe with me, he wanted to prove it by char-grilling what turned out to be some of the best tasting mouth-watering rib-eye steaks I ever had (scout's honor) -- on his brand new Bayou Classic Cypress Ceramic Grill.

I had never seen or used a ceramic grill before, so I recorded about a  minute of footage of him cooking those out-of-this-world steaks on his new ceramic grill which he has affectionately named "Mergatroyd". Take a gander.


 

Here is what Scott has to say about Mergatroyd:

"I really like this grill. I use it every weekend. I've been grilling for 20 years, and have used everything from kettles, to gas, to smokers, to barbecue pits, but this is my favorite. I can put in a load of charcoal, and set it on a slow smoke, and it will stay going for two days - literally. I can get the temperature up to 750 degrees, too. It doesn't rust, its easy to clean, its compact (but it weighs a ton). Metal components are stainless or heavy black anodized steel, so it wont rust.

Here's what other folks have to say about it:

By Jim G.  ~ "I have had my grill for 2 months now. LOVE the way it cooks. Best pizza ever. I have to say it puts any restaurants pizza to shame. I am a baker and did my first bread tonight. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!! If anything ever happened to this, I would go straight out and buy another."

By Andrea K  ~ "We absolutely love this grill. The quality is perfection. We are recommending this grill to everyone!! Great for both grilling and smoking!!

Me ~ "I can personally vouch for all of them 'cause I saw the grill in action."

By the way, here is the recipe my son used to grill those fantastic steaks... Hmmm... C'est Magnifique!

Balsamic Red Wine Reduction Sauce for Steak

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, sliced thin
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
• 1 sprig of fresh Rosemary

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pan, sweat sliced red onions in olive and butter over medium heat until translucent, and beginning to caramelize.
2. Add dry red wine and balsamic vinegar, and boil until liquid is reduce by 1/2.
3. Add beef broth, and boil until liquid is reduced by 1/2 again.
4. Add rosemary, salt, and pepper, reduce heat to simmer, and allow the sauce to continue to reduce until it is the consistency of warm syrup.  There should be about 1/2 cup of sauce in the pan.
5. Discard onion and rosemary (or just leave them in the pan).
6. Using a spoon, drizzle sauce over grilled steak.

Note

When I make filet mignon, I like to rub the steak with olive oil, course salt and black pepper, then sear over medium-high heat for a few minutes on all sides.  I then remove the steaks before they are over-cooked, leaving the fond (pan drippings) in the pan.  I then follow the above process, add a few spoonfuls of sauce to a plate, and set the fillet on top. The red wine will deglaze the pan, which adds a very delicious quality to the sauce. ~ Scott Gaspard

Bon Appétit!
KT