Smoked Catfish with herb marinade

My mom and dad came up to visit recently and my dad brought up a bunch of catfish to smoke in the Bradley. I love catfish but I usually eat it blackened or fried. I had never smoked catfish before, so I was eager to give it a go. Catfish is not as oily as salmon or trout but has more than tilapia, haddock or cod and can work great in the smoker. I made an herb marinade to flavour the catfish and help prevent it from drying out during the smoking process.
The catfish came out awesome and had a wonderful smokey flavour enhanced by the herb marinade. This may have been the first time I smoked catfish, but I can tell you that it will not be my last!
Smoked Catfish with an Herb Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 catfish fillets
- 1 cup oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon , juiced
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
- wood of choice
Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients together. Place catfish in a shallow baking dish or bowl. Pour marinade on the fish and turn them to ensure the catfish are evenly coated.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Start smoker with wood of choice (I used alder) and set it for 225F.
- Place catfish on racks and put in the smoker.
- Smoke the fish for 2 1/3 hours.