The state hero of Tennessee

Mario Batali, the chef, once described the pig as " The National Hero of Italy". The pig is the State Hero of Tennessee as well, though here he shares his title with another state icon- the catfish. I pan-fried a catfish fillet last night for dinner. I dipped it in egg , then rolled it in a half cup of flour seasoned with a teaspoon of Creole seasoning. 6 minutes on each side and it was crunchy and buttery and moist on the inside. My fillet was farm raised, and I was grateful for it, even though wild catfish are one of the few fish I can hook and land. I practice catch and release with them, since the logistics of cleaning them are so daunting. I read somewhere that they are easy to clean as long as one has a board, a nail, a hammer, and pliers. These are not items that I am in the habit of packing for a holiday out of town. And remember too, that all the while the hungry fisherman ( or woman) is trying to subdue this fish, the fish is trying to sting and maim.

The owner of a cabin I used to stay at on Kentucky Lake told me that he had spoken to one of the men who constructed the Interstate 40 bridge over the Tennessee River, and that this man and the other bridgeworkers were afraid to go into the water because " the catfish down there were as big as cars". He also told me about men who go into the water and stick their arms into catfish caves and then into catfish gullets, dragging the fish out by the throat. I found this hard to swallow. It sounds as plausible as the Urban Legend of The Choking Doberman. Then I saw videos about this on You-tube. I still do not know whether to believe this, but this I do believe- that if this sport does exist I'll bet it involves a lot of beer.