Cooking North African Catfish

Photo: www.poland-fish.com – Copyright | enlarged to square

BEFORE COOKING:

Thoroughly defrost the frozen North African catfish. Clean, rinse, and cut into portions. If cooking the whole fish, prepare it by removing the gills (they would impart a bitter taste to the dish).

COOKING:

Place the fish into boiling vegetable broth (with plenty of onions), or a mixture of water and white wine, water and milk, or plain wine. The liquid may cover the fish up to half. Cook on low heat to avoid breaking the delicate flesh: fillets and medallions – for 15–20 minutes, very large pieces or whole fish – for 30–40 minutes. Add garlic crushed with salt and sugar. You may add lemon or onion slices, peppercorns, dill, basil, marjoram, thyme, saffron, and other spices. Dried mushrooms can also be added to the broth. Cook under a tight lid. The North African catfish is cooked when it changes to a lighter color and the flesh parts easily separate.

AFTER COOKING:

Carefully remove the cooked fish with a slotted spoon. The cooking liquid is ideal for making a sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

The cooked fish tastes excellent with butter sauce, dill sauce, or with chive or mint oil. Serve accompanied by coleslaw, salads, or with rice, potatoes, lentils, or millet porridge.

Enjoy your meal!