Recreating Arthur Morgan's 1899 Fried Catfish Meal from Red Dead Redemption 2

If you spend time wandering through the Red Desert of the American South in Red Dead Redemption 2, a stop at the Rhodes saloon is practically mandatory. One of the standout items on their menu is the fried catfish—a seemingly simple dish that hides a surprising amount of historical detail and culinary science.

While the in-game visuals for the side dishes appear to be recycled from Valentine's Lamb’s Fry, a deeper look into late 19th-century Southern cooking reveals what Arthur Morgan was actually eating. Let's dive into the history, science, and the complete recipe to recreate this 1899 saloon classic at home.

1. The Main Event: Fried Catfish

When researching traditional fried catfish recipes, you'll immediately notice something unique: the finished fish pieces always feature distinctive dark vertical stripes. Why do these appear, and what kind of catfish was actually served in Rhodes?

The Science Behind the Stripes

At first glance, it's easy to assume all fish develop these lines when fried. However, other fish like pollock, salmon, or even Basa (a type of catfish widely sold today) don't show these vertical ridges after frying.

The secret lies in myosepta separating myomeres—the natural connective tissues (collagen membranes) separating muscle bundles. Unlike mammals, fish muscle is made of stacked, "W" or "V"-shaped segments.

• Bottom-dwelling fish like the Channel Catfish constantly forage in muddy riverbeds, making their myosepta exceptionally tough and rich in Type I collagen.
• During high-tech frying, muscle fibers contract rapidly and expel water, shrinking significantly. The tough collagen membranes, however, hold their ground.
• This contrast causes the surface of the fish to "open up" along those lines, forming distinct indented vertical stripes.

In contrast, farm-raised Basa grows rapidly in high densities with delicate muscle fibers and underdeveloped myosepta, meaning it lacks the structural strength to form these ridges.

Channel Catfish vs. Bullhead Catfish

The game features both Channel Catfish and Bullhead Catfish.

• Bullheads are smaller (usually 0.5 to 2 kg / 1.1–4.4 lbs).
• Channel Catfish grow much larger (2 to 10 kg / 4.4–22 lbs or more), making them the ideal choice for producing proper fillets. Furthermore, Channel Catfish was already the most commercially farmed catfish species in the American South by the late 19th century, making it the most historically accurate choice for a Rhodes saloon kitchen.

Why Cornmeal?

During the Civil War (1861–1865), the wheat flour supply chain in the South was severely disrupted. By 1899, while flour was no longer a luxury item, cornmeal remained the go-to coating for Southern households and saloons alike. Its gritty, crunchy texture had already evolved into a signature culinary tradition for fried catfish.

2. The Sides: Greens & Boiled Beans

The Rhodes menu lists the catfish as being served with "greens and boiled beans."

• The Greens: In the late 19th-century South, fried fish was commonly paired with braised collard greens seasoned with vinegar and hot sauce. Hardy enough for slow cooking, they were a kitchen staple. (Fun fact: modern culinary trends have made fresh greens quite pricey, making Arthur's saloon meal a surprisingly upscale choice by today's standards!)
• The Boiled Beans: This traditional Southern side involves slow-simmering pinto beans with smoked pork for hours until they become creamy, tender, and deeply savory.

3. Recipe & Instructions

🐟 Fried Catfish

Ingredients:

• Channel catfish fillets
• Buttermilk (or substitute with milk mixed with lemon juice, left to sit for 5 minutes)
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Cornmeal (for coating)

Instructions:

1. Marinate the catfish fillets in the buttermilk, salt, and black pepper mixture for 2 hours.
2. Coat the fillets thoroughly in cornmeal.
3. Fry in oil heated to 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes on the first side, flip, and fry for another 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the oil and let them rest on a wire rack so the crust can crisp up.

🥬 Greens

Ingredients:

• Lard
• Smoked pork bone
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 15g garlic, crushed
• 200g collard greens, chopped
• Water
• 15ml apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Melt lard in a pot, then add the smoked pork bone, chopped onion, and crushed garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent.
2. Add the collard greens and stir until they soften.
3. Pour in enough water to just submerge the greens, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 1.5 hours.
4. Before taking it off the heat, stir in the apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a touch of salt to taste.

🫘 Boiled Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked pig's trotter
• 200g pinto beans (soaked in cold water overnight)
• 1/2 onion, left whole and unchopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Put the pig's trotter, soaked pinto beans, whole onion, and bay leaf into a pot of water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours.
2. Before serving, pull the tender meat and fat off the pig's trotter and mix it back into the beans. Discard the bones, onion, and bay leaf.
3. Season with salt to taste.