Smoked Catfish Pate Food

SIMPLE SMOKED FISH PATé

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place fish, cream cheese, butter, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, garlic, and pepper into a food processor bowl.
• Pulse until mixed well, but not completely puréed.
• Mound mixture into a serving dish and refrigerate overnight.
• Paté tastes best when brought to room temperature. Top with chopped chives and serve with toasted bread triangles or savory crackers.

STOVE TOP SMOKER BEER-BRINED SMOKED CATFISH

Steps:

• Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water.
• Add cold beer, pepper and bay leaves to make brine.
• Whisk well to remove carbonation.
• Add two medium-size bowls of ice cubes to cool brine and add more volume to the brine.
• Add more cold water if more liquid is necessary to cover all the fillets.
• Place fish in brine when the brine is cool to the touch.
• Brine fish 2-4 hours covered, in the refrigerator.
• Remove fish from brine, rinse in cold water and air dry for 10 minutes before smoking.
• When ready to smoke, set stovetop smoker up with 2 tablespoons of chips between the smoker and the drip pan.
• Replace cooking grate.
• Brush fish lightly with oil, place skin-side down on the cooking grate with about an inch between each fillet.
• Slide top of smoker into place.
• Place smoker on the stovetop and center it over the burner.
• Turn the burner on high.
• Smoke for 20-30 minutes.
• The fish will be a dark caramel color.
• (Alternatively you may smoke cook on an outdoor grill for 1 hour or until fish is cooked through, caramel colored and smoked.).
• Serve at warm or room temperature or make into a smoked catfish "pate" by adding cream cheese, sour cream, shallots, capers, garlic, Tabasco and a dash of pepper to taste.

ULTIMATE SMOKED FISH BRINE

Steps:

• Mix sugar and all dry ingredients in large microwavable bowl. Add Water and heat in microwave for 2-3 minutes only until sugar dissolves. The solution does not need to be hot, just lukewarm to allow the sugar to dissolve.
• Add remaining ingredients, mix, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• Add fish to a large zip lock bag or a large enough vacuum bag to hold all the fish and liquid. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal. If using a vacuum sealer, ensure you seal with no Vacuum OFF.
• In the refrigerator brine for 8 hours if using whole fish (skin, bones) or 4-5 hours for filet's. If filet's are thicker than 1" brine for up to 8 hours.
• Remove fish from brine and smoke according to the directions on your smoker.
• DO-NOT reuse brine! Throw away used brine and and make another batch if you need more brine for another recipe.

SMOKED CATFISH PATE

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.