Who would have thought that a certain type of biodiesel could be obtained from a fish . Yet it happens, in Vietnam, and the fish in question is the catfish . From its fat, 1 kg for about 1.13 l. It is an animal that has many surprises to tell, even delicious surprises, because it can also be served at the table, both as a first and second course.
Catfish: characteristics
The catfish has a curious appearance that makes it easily recognizable. It has whiskers and roams around fresh waters eating all the waste left by other animals. It eats everything, it is terribly voracious, so much so that in some contexts it risks making native species extinct. In Italy, for example, since it arrived, population problems have been recorded for barbels, tenches and pikes. It certainly has no problems, because it adapts wherever it wants, even in highly polluted environments or with little oxygen. To eat, as we will see, it makes do with what it finds and is not fussy, it swallows larvae and worms, but also adult fish, whether alive or dead. The nickname “scavenger fish” is fully deserved. Even in its courtship habits, it cannot be said to appear particularly refined. The male and female approach and mate as they rub their barbels, then the female prepares the nest on the bottom, trying to find a space decently free of debris. The male’s job is to defend and oxygenate the eggs.
Catfish: weight
Aside from its whiskers, the catfish is certainly not the most attractive looking. It has a stocky, robust body , with a very large head that is not proportionate to the rest of its body, and from which a pair of fleshy, unappealing lips protrude. It can weigh up to 3 kg and measure over half a meter in length.
Its body has no scales, it is all dark, so much so that it is sometimes called “black catfish”. Even its ” whiskers”, technically barbels, are certainly rather ugly to look at, but they are particularly useful for this fish. They are not ordinary whiskers, as is the case in other species, but are the seat of the sense organs and taste buds. Other fish of the Siluriformes also have whiskers and they also have another element in common, a dorsal fin equipped with a large poisonous sting also in the pectoral area.
Catfish: Where Does It Live?
In addition to aquariums, catfish also live in the wild, fortunately, and also in Italy. They are originally from the United States but have already crossed the ocean for quite some time, metaphorically speaking, to settle in Italy and Europe. They have been present in our country since the early twentieth century, they live mainly in lakes and ponds and manage to find their place almost anywhere, even at the expense of other fish native to the place.
Catfish: What Does It Eat?
We have already talked about the catfish ‘s diet because it is an aspect that particularly characterizes it. Let’s go back to it to better specify how omnivorous and also insatiable it is. What it finds in the water, it brushes away without even paying attention to what it is, so we find a menu based on fish of all ages, crustaceans and invertebrates. They also swallow eggs, fry and larvae, crustaceans, invertebrates. Being a rather large fish, it does not have many enemies in its waters. Only two freshwater fish could face it, the perch and the pike, which do not seem particularly interested in eating it.
Catfish in aquarium
When the catfish is not splashing around in our lakes and ponds, or even in the rest of Europe or North America, it is in aquariums and here too it is quite a character. Let’s say that it knows how to make itself known well. Its main concern, if not only, is eating. It therefore has no time to socialize, it wanders rather attentively around the tank, attentive but only to what it can swallow. It is a rather cumbersome presence , both in terms of space and in terms of behavior because it is lively and “disturbs the waters”. Many calmer and more composed fish are disturbed by it.
If we want to raise a catfish in an aquarium, it is better to opt for those varieties that are smaller in size, so they can fit better in a small and populated space. I am referring in particular to some South American varieties such as the Pimelodella picta, also called spotted catfish. We are far from the size of the catfish seen so far, this variety measures a maximum of a dozen centimeters, so they do not clutter and are, in fact, also less voracious. It also has a different color, it is no longer black but silvery white with several black spots of various sizes. It could be the Dalmatian in fish version.
Its optimal temperature is between 24° and 26°, so it loves warm waters. It feeds itself and its precious barbels, if broken, grow back. Its average life span is 2 to 6 years.
Catfish: recipes
From the aquarium to the frying pan, to see how we can find catfish served on the table. Despite what it eats, it has a very appreciated meat because it is light in color and very tasty. It is also a little fatty but this allows for the preparation of succulent recipes. Even if it is not an endemic fish , we find it in some traditional Italian recipes, particularly in the Emilian one because the area from the Po is perfect for this fish. It is often found on menus both fried and stewed, baked and in foil, it can also be enjoyed in brine. For the meat to be appreciated in flavor, the fish must be raised in warm waters and sold alive.
Now let’s see two recipes, a first and a second course, with which you can indulge yourself to taste their flavor in a worthy way.
As a first course, we propose fettuccine with catfish sauce , easy and quick to prepare, since they require about a quarter of an hour.
Ingredients:
- 4 Catfish already cleaned
- 1/2 Golden onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 300 g Tomato Pulp
- 1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Hot Chili Pepper
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper
To prepare the catfish , if the person who sold them to you hasn’t already done so, you need to remove all the fins and the head. The belly must also be opened with scissors to clean it of the innards and wash the fish under cold running water. Leave it in a colander to drain and prepare the sauce. Brown all the herbs and then the chili pepper in a pan with a little oil. Add the tomato, then the vinegar, raising the heat so that it dries a little. Finally add salt and pepper, with half a glass of hot water. The sauce must cook for half an hour, remember to stir it. Then add the fish. For four people you need a couple.
We remove the bones and cut it into pieces, then let it cook in the sauce, meanwhile we boil the fettuccine al dente and drain them, then mix them with the sauce.
For those who prefer fish-based second courses, there is the recipe for baked catfish with potatoes and cherry tomatoes. The most important phase of this recipe is the marinade because it allows the fish to absorb the scent of aromatic herbs and white wine for many hours. Marinade aside, which lasts a couple of hours, the recipe is very quick.
Ingredients:
- 2 Catfish of approximately 800 g each (cut into slices)
- 1 bunch Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Fresh Oregano, Parsley
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 glass Dry White Wine
- qb Peppercorns
- qb Salt
- 4 Potatoes
- 15 Cherry tomatoes (cherry or date)
We clean the fish and dry it with kitchen paper, preparing it in slices, to be then marinated in a bowl with half of the washed and chopped aromatic herbs, pepper, half of the oil, 2 cloves of peeled and sliced garlic and half of the wine. The fish should be placed on the herbs and then covered with the remaining herbs, including the garlic and the wine.
So, sealed in the bowl, it must rest for a couple of hours in the fridge, every now and then we take it and mix it a little, and then put it back in the fridge . We turn the oven on at 200° and prepare the pan for cooking, lining it with baking paper. The slices must be placed evenly, then the other ingredients will be added. We need the potatoes, cut into slices after being washed and peeled, and we need the cherry tomatoes, cut in half. The pan must be closed again, with aluminum foil, and baked for a good half hour. We remove the aluminum foil and let it cook a little longer, then we can serve the fish together with potatoes and cherry tomatoes and a little tasty sauce.
Catfish Fun Facts
We have already seen how in Vietnam this fish is even a source of energy, its fat in particular. It is also known in other parts of the world, for various reasons. In Japan for example it is even venerated because it is able to generate earthquakes, its shape is used as a symbol in case of alert. All this is linked to a legend that sees it positioned in such a way that its tail resides under the earth’s crust, exactly under Shinosa and Hidachi , and the rest of the body under the archipelago.