I was surprised to hear that not a lot of people keep belly meat.

I keep belly meat off of all flatheads and most blues but not channel cats. I don't usually eat big cannel cats. I think the belly meat from a flathead is the fillet mignon of catfish. I cut the bellies in half and fry whole for sandwiches. The blues I cut into two finger portions and fry.

I soak the meat in a solution of ice and salt water with some lemon juice added for usually a day, Pat dry and roll in fine corn meal with some Tony Chaceres added in then roll in Texas Petes and back into the corn meal. I fry in 375 degree oil in a cast iron skillet until golden brown. usually about 4 or 5 minutes.

I'm not big on mayo so a make a sauce from ketchup, worchestershire sauce, horseradish sauce and lemon juice. Smear that on some Texas toast or a hamburger bun add some lettuce and tomato and you've got a heck of a fish sandwich.

I will save the bellies on bigger blues if customers want them. I don't eat the belly meat it has a rubbery texture to me, give me the wonderful white flakey meat off of a blue cat every day.

My husband will eat it, not me. Don’t care for it. Too rubbery.

Best part of a flathead. Channel cats no.

dang
i need a fish sandwich now

I had one last night and it was wonderful.

Gotta be a decent sized fish. Not worth it on a 5lber

That is true. Small flats are all hea and I don't keep them.

Try trimming the inside membrane off. That will probably take care of the rubbery texture.

On a bigger cat, I'll cut the belly out and use a razor sharp fillet knife and fillet the meat from the skin, flip it over and remove the gray membrane.

Absolutely I will save it, especially on a big blue or flathead, but any cat over about 10lbs has a nice bit of belly meat.

Nope . Ain't eat'n no belly meat.

Me neither!

Flathead yes! And if it’s a nice one the head meat too. Blues I just take the filets off. Channels I throw back most of the time.