Catfish Stew

(Granny’s Note: Pickens Williams brought this for supper after Daddy’s funeral.)

• 3 lbs catfish
• 3 lbs potatoes
• 1 lb onion
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• Other things that you’ll need (or might) that aren’t listed:
  • Bacon grease
  • Hot sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Water
  • Tomato juice
  • Fat back (People where I live now have never heard of this. Here, people call it or something very close to it “crackling”.)

Directions:

1. Dress fish.
2. Boil in plain water until meat can easily be picked from bones.
3. Pick off bones.
4. Strain water and save.
5. Peel and dice potato, and cook in strained fish water.
6. Chop onion and fry in bacon grease.
7. Just before potatoes are done, add fish and onion.
8. Add tomato paste until it gets to the color you want.
9. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
10. Cook to the consistency you like. If too thick, add tomato juice. If too thin, just keep cooking.
11. You may dice and fry out some fat back and add to the stew. It adds flavor.