Greek Herb Grilled Catfish Steaks
A big herb rub, a hot grate, and whatever fish came out of the lake.
- calories
- 340
- weight
- 8 oz
- cal / oz
- 43
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 45 min
- total time
- 60 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Day one only
- Basic
Ingredients
| Catfish steaks, cut 1 inch thick | 2 to 3 lb | trim off the dark red line along the middle |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp | in a dropper bottle |
| Lemons, sliced | 2 | |
| Dried oregano | 1 tbsp | |
| Dried parsley | 1 tbsp | |
| Dried rosemary | 1 tbsp | crush it between your palms |
| Dried thyme | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tbsp | |
| Dried basil | 1 tsp | |
| Dried dill | 1/2 tsp | |
| Salt | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | a pinch |
Method
- Build a small fire and let it burn down, or set a grill to low. You want steady low heat around 250F, not flames.
- Coat both sides of each steak with olive oil and rub it in.
- Shake the herb blend together and press it onto the fish, both sides.
- Lay the steaks on a doubled sheet of foil with lemon slices under and over them. Fold the edges up into a loose tray.
- Set the tray on the grate off to the side of the coals. Cook 45 to 60 minutes.
- It is done when the flesh has gone from translucent to white all the way through and flakes off the bone with a fork.
Catfish steaks are thick and dense, which is why the long slow cook matters. High heat dries the outside before the middle is done. Held around 250F in a foil tray, the fish steams in its own moisture and the lemon slices, and it comes off the bone in whole flakes instead of shredding.
Every seasoning here is dried, so the rub is a jar you mix at home and carry all season. That leaves exactly one perishable item in the plan, and the foil tray means the grate never gets scrubbed. Trim the red line down the center of each steak before cooking. It is the strongest-tasting part of the fish and it does not improve with heat.
Packing
Mix all the herbs, garlic powder, and salt into one small jar at home. Fish rides in the cooler on ice, wrapped, and gets cooked the day it is caught or the day you leave the house.
Variations
- No fresh lemon: a teaspoon of citric acid or a squeeze bottle of lemon juice does the same job at a fraction of the weight.
- Same rub works on any thick, mild freshwater fish, and on chicken thighs if the fishing goes badly.
- For a shorter cook, run the grate hotter and give thinner fillets 12 to 15 minutes in the foil.
https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes/greek-style-grilled-flathead-catfish-steaks