How do I remove the skin from fresh catfish ?

The fresh catfish I can buy at the supermarket has the skin (or skin residue) left on and doesn%26#039;t taste so good when I cook it. So far I haven%26#039;t been able to think of a way to remove the skin without losing a couple of fingers.





Any ideas gratefully received.|||Check out this link, pretty much tells it like it is. Much better than I could.





http://www.h2ow.com/catfish/catfish_clea鈥?/a>|||My neighbor, who fishes, uses pliers. He uses a knife, too, but once he gets the thing started, out come the pliers and off goes the skin. Maybe it will work for store-bought, too.|||Lef is entirely correct . I have skinned many a catfish I%26#039;ve caught - I have never seen them in the grocery store with skin on however. They also make a special board with clamps that hold the fish down for cutting around the head (neck) area if you don%26#039;t want to use a ice pick and a special clawed pliers for pulling off the skin. But skinning is how you clean up a catfish rather than scaling as most fish.....usually pulls right off through the tail area (gutted first of course). Kinda like skinning a rabbit if you%26#039;ve ever done any hunting....|||People have different methods, but I cleaned mine with pliers.


I take them (alive) and drive a icepick through the head and into a sturdy board. (like between two trees). Cut lightly the skin around the would-be neck area. Take some good pliers and pull it off.|||I agree with LEF. That%26#039;s the method we used in my fish fabrication and cookery class (I%26#039;m a culinary school graduate. Except our fish were dead already.