By Catfish Stew – A Fish stew made with Fresh Catfish cooked in a stew with bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomato, and broth. This is an elegantly simple stew. It’s hearty, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious!
Okay, this catfish is a stew of my childhood. It was one of my favorites and still is today. Growing up, every Sunday after church, we would drive down to the Fish or Chicken Market and either get fresh catfish or fresh Chicken to make fish stew or Chicken stew.
We usually don’t eat any snacks until the whole meal is ready, so we have enough room in our bellies to accommodate all the goodness of the meal.
To date, the aroma of the stew makes me dream about those times, especially whenever hunger and nostalgia set in.
This recipe calls for fresh or whole Tilapia, but it’s okay to use fillets. I’ve used fillets several times, and I must say, I love the outcome! However, bear in mind that once you add the fillets to the stew, keep an eye on them to prevent them from disintegrating. The fillet takes about 5 minutes to get done.
If you are looking forward to trying another fish recipe, I have compiled a list of Fish Recipes Everyone will love; you will enjoy them!
How to Clean Catfish
My butcher has helped to clean the Catfish I used for this recipe. However, if you have to clean it up by yourself, there are two main methods, I have always used:
- Scrub the skin of the Fish with Salt
- Scrub with Alum
- Soak it in hot boiling water for about 3 minutes. The slime will fall off easily.
As you can see, although my Fish had been thoroughly cleaned. I still soaked it in hot water. This is because Catfish is naturally a soft Fish; the hot water will not only remove the slime but also help firm it up a bit, thereby reducing its chances of breaking apart in the stew.
Catfish Stew is an absolutely delicious fish stew! It’s so versatile, which is why it’s ideal for any menu. You can serve with white Rice, Pasta, Couscous, use as a dip for bread, and so much more.
How to cook Catfish stew
The butcher in my Fishmarket always cleans and cuts the fish for me and that saves me time and stress. You might want to tell your butcher to do the same if that service is available at your fish market. Otherwise, below is a quick explanation on how to clean your Catfish.
Other Fish Recipes you might want to try:
Other delicious soups and stews you might want to try:
- simple African chicken Pepper Soup
- West African Peanut soup (Maafe)
- Goat Meat Pepper soup
- Banga Soup
- Nigerian Chicken Stew
More fish recipes from my archives.
- Air fryer frozen salmon fish
- Grilled catfish
- African fish pastry
- Easy lemon garlic baked codfish
- Pan-seared Tilapia Fish
- Oven-Baked Salmon
- Salmon Bites – 3 ways with Dipping Sauce
Notes
- If you like it thinner consistency of stew feel free to add more water or stock
- You can safely store up this stew in the refrigerator for about 3 days. It gets better the next day.
- If you want a less spicy stew, simply remove the seeds of the Habanero pepper or skip it entirely.
- If you’re going to freeze it, simply takeout the portion you want to freeze immediately after cooking it. Let it cool down to room temperature then store in the freezer until you are ready to use it.
Catfish Stew
Ingredients
- 2 lb cat Fish
- 3 red bell peppers
- 4 medium roma tomatoes
- 2 medium onions
- 1 habanero Pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger Minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp curry Powder
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 stalks green onions Optional
Instructions
- Blend together the red bell peppers, Tomatoes, habanero, 1 onion, ginger, and garlic
- Preheat the oil in a pan, add the onions, and saute over medium heat until translucent.
- Add the thyme, ginger, and tomato paste, and mix them around a bit so they're well distributed in the oil. If it’s too thick, you can add a splash of water. Leave to fry for about 3 minutes.
- Add the blended sauce and stir together. Cover it up and leave to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to prevent the stew from burning.
- Meanwhile, preheat some water enough to accommodate the Fish. Once the water is boiled, turn off the heat and put the Fish inside. After 3 to 5 minutes, remove the fish from the water, rinse, drain and set aside.
- Season with stew with Salt, black pepper, Curry powder, and Paprika. Add the chicken broth to loosen it up a bit. Adjust the seasoning at this point if necessary.
- Gently drop the Catfish Fish one at a time inside the stew. Cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the Catfish is cooked through or about 5 minutes for smaller or thinner fillets.
- Add the green Onions and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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In the ingredients list it says habanero, in directions it says Jalapeño. Which did you use?
All fresh ingredients
What if you don’t eat catfish ? Is it possible to use other fish that have scales and fins please?
Yes you can use any fish of choice but bear in mind that you may need to adjust the cooking time based on the fish type.
This stew was absolutely delicious. I cut the recipe in half. The mix of spices was spot on. Will definitely make it again.
Great, Melanie.
I have some unbreaded catfish nuggets leftover from a fish fry in my freezer… I was looking for something new to try with them, can I use frozen filet pieces for this stew?
Apologies for the late response Mombie. Yes, you can but it will require a lesser cooing time.
so yummy. thanks for the recipe.
You are welcome 🙂
Omg this is amazing, I made it and enjoyed it with my family, they found my very nice and delicious. I like you recipe,it is very simple. Keep it up
Thank you for the feedback Oby. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Tried this last night. It was yummy and full of flavour. Plus it wasn’t too oily at all which was unexpected. Will be making this a staple.
This was my first time making it it was so delicious! My son loved it.
That’s so good to hear 😊😊😊😊😊😊 . Thank you for the feedback.
I actually made if for the first time with your recipe and I’m amazed I did it. Tastes super nice and the aroma earned me some unwanted visitors. Kudos ma!
I actually made if for the first time with your recipe and I’m amazed I did it. Tastes super nice and the aroma earned me some unwanted visitors. Kudosa
I’m not a lover of catfish but my hubby and kids do…
I will try it im sure they will like it..
Weldon cheflola i love the simplicity of ur recipes…
Thank you UmuM. This stew might convert you though 🙂
I also don’t like catfish but my husband and kid’s do ,trying it today hope it turns out well
I love stew!! I have never made catfish this way but it looks delicious, cant wait to try it out
THIS.LOOKS.AMAZING!!!! I seriously have to try it. First time on your site, and I’m about to binge through your site!
I never have had catfish stew! It looks really delicious, I will have to try it.
Can’t wait to try this! My son is crazy about catfish. He’s going to love this!
I’m not a fan of fish, but your stew looks so delicious, I want to dig in immediately. I can imagine how hearty and flavorful it is!
This was delicious! My family loved it and we’ll be making it again!