LIFE IN THE MISSISSIPPI

[HostDave]

In many ways, the Mississippi River is a world unto itself. Perhaps that’s why Mark Twain felt compelled to chronicle his days on the river as a cub pilot in the classic Life on the Mississippi. If you travel with the American Queen Steamboat Company, you’ll soon know what we mean. The language, music, cuisine and culture are distinctive and delightful. There is no place else on earth quite like the Mississippi River.

But you will also notice that the Mississippi is brown thanks to the rich silt that fills the water. Deposited on the banks and into the fields when the river floods according to nature’s eternal cycle, that nutrient-rich mud and dirt create some of the most fertile farmland on earth. Each evening, the deck crew on the American Queen washes down the area around the 65-ton red paddlewheel to remove the dirt splashed aboard by the churning paddlewheel. At the bow, the deck also must be washed down and the ropes that tie the American Queen to the shore cleaned to remove the dirt that, inevitably, finds its way onto the deck. The American Queen is always as clean and tidy as a country church, but it takes quite a bit of effort!

With our guests focused on the sights of the river itself and the charming towns and exciting cities along the banks, it’s easy to forget that there’s much more to the Mississippi River than meets the eye. Just what is life like IN the Mississippi? There are dozens upon dozens of species of fish swimming among the silt, but few have the legendary stature of the catfish. Somehow, catfish and the South just go hand-in-hand.

Catfish have become part of Southern culture and many of the stories relating to fishing for catfish have become the core of Southern lore. There are countless tales of giant catfish, described as bigger than a boat, having been caught along the shore. Thanks to the talents of digital photography manipulators, doctored photos do exist. In reality, catfish don’t get as large as a 30-foot boat but many people are surprised to learn that they can grow to well over 100 pounds. Last year when the Mississippi River was low near our hometown of Memphis, the catfish were swarming in search of food. The fishing was as good as it’s been in a decade, according to the catfish connoisseurs. And 70-pound catfish were being caught with surprising regularity.

Catfish get their name from barbels, whisker-like growths around the mouth that bear a passing resemblance to feline whiskers. You may not know that catfish, despite their long association with the Southern United States, are found on every continent except Antarctica. The variety of catfish is among the most numerous of any species of fish, although roughly half hail from the Americas. Usually found in running water that is fairly shallow, catfish have many tricks up their sleeves; these bottom feeders are even found in caves as well as salt water.

As such an iconic fish, the catfish has also collected a long list of nicknames ranging from “chucklehead” to “mud cat.” They also vary in size more so than any other boned fish. Some are as small as just a few inches while other species can regularly grow to more than 8 feet and 220 pounds. In America, the largest flathead catfish ever caught measured more than 130 pounds although a catfish in Spain once tipped the scales at 193 pounds. The largest of all? An enormous Mekong catfish caught in 2005 in Thailand weighed a staggering 646 pounds. There’s no record of how many people it fed!

Make no mistake, catfish are prized for their place in Southern cuisine. Because they are so prevalent, catfish have never developed a reputation as an exotic fish suited to exotic tastes but the truth is that even a simple fried catfish preparation is truly delicious, especially when accompanied by Dixie staples such as red beans, rice and corn bread.

On the American Queen, catfish is featured on our menus, along with a great many other Southern classics intermingled among contemporary dishes. Basic cornmeal crusted catfish fried in a pan is one of our most popular selections. Traveling on a steamboat and not sampling the catfish is like visiting an antebellum plantation and not having a mint julep.

We can’t give away the secret catfish recipes of our American Queen chefs, but we can direct you to the website Food.com for some terrific preparation ideas. For a true taste of the South, try this Blackened Catfish recipe popular in Baton Rouge and featured on the Food.com website:

INGREDIENTS

1 lb catfish fillet
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

PREPARATION

Place the fish fillets in a large bowl and drizzle olive oil over them, then let stand for 30 minutes. While waiting, combine the spices in a pie plate and heat a cast iron skillet upside down over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until very hot. Don’t forget to turn on the vent fan, blackening catfish generates plenty of smoke! Using a hot pad, turn pan right side up. Remove fish fillets from oil and drain. Dip each fillet into seasonings and coat each side evenly. Put fillets in hot skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning only once. Serve with red beans, rice and homemade cornbread.

You’ll love the results. Be sure to check out Food.com’s many other catfish recipes, including parmesan crusted and fried cornmeal versions. If you can’t be aboard the American Queen tonight, bring a little riverboat to your table!