Behind the French Menu: smoked catfish

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The Wels Catfish.

The Silure or Wels Catfish fish has white meat with a firm texture. It will be served as filets sautéed, grilled, baked or smoked and is often part of freshwater fish soups. Areas, where freshwater fishermen and women are at work like those who fish in the River Loire, will have plenty of wild catfish for the restaurant trade and these are the best.

Too big to eat; soon to be released.

Photograph courtesy of helti

The Wels Catfish on French Menus:

Darne de Silure Grillée au Beurre de Citron Verts - A large cut of the Wels catfish grilled with a lime butter.

Ragoût Blanc de Silure - A stew made with Wels Catfish and prepared with a cream and wine sauce.

Silure Grillé Sauce au Vin Rouge et Échalotes- Grilled Wells Catfish served with a red wine sauce flavored with shallots.

Wels Catfish.

Photograph courtesy of Kim

Silure Fumé Maison en Salade aux Lentilles Vertes du Berry, Parmesan et Tuile de Speck.- Home smoked Wels Catfish served with a salad with the green lentils from Berry sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and thin slices of cured ham

Siilure Fumé de Loire aux Olives Noires, Smoked Wels Catfish from the River Loire, served with black olives.

Filet De Silure Sauté avec Sauce au Pinot Gris.- Lightly Fried Filet of Wels Catfish Prepared with a Pinot Gris Sauce,

Catfish with lemon and horseradish cream sauce.

Photograph courtesy of JaBB

Wels catfish caught in the wild can easily reach over 1 meter (3 ft) long, but the champions can be over 2 meters long and weigh over 65 kg. Nevertheless, the wild catfish sold to restaurants are rarely over ten kilos as the larger sizes are considered too fatty and the smaller fish are tastier.