Recipe: Stewed catfish, the taste of the Po as told by Gualtieri

In the Bassa Reggiana, where the great river shapes landscapes suspended between water and land, the local cuisine preserves stories of ingenuity, survival and identity. In Gualtieri, one of the most charming villages along the Po, the signature dish is Al Pés Gàt, or stewed catfish: a simple, authentic recipe rooted in folk culture and life on the floodplains.

Gualtieri: a village nestled between art and the river

Nestled along the River Po, Gualtieri is a little gem of Emilia-Romagna. At its heart lies the picturesque Piazza Bentivoglio, dominated by the imposing Renaissance palace that bears witness to the village’s noble past.

But beyond the art, it is the river that sets the pace of life here. The floodplains, oxbow lakes and slow-flowing waters have shaped not only the landscape but also local culinary habits. It is precisely in this context that the tradition of catfish emerged, the star of a cuisine that is simple yet rich in flavour.

The origins of Al Pés Gàt

The catfish (Ictalurus melas), introduced from North America between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, found an ideal habitat in the River Po. With its stocky, scaleless body, distinctive whiskers and flavourful flesh, it soon became a favourite in local kitchens.

It was originally introduced for practical reasons: during the processing of hemp, it helped to eliminate the larvae that formed in the water. But from a ‘working fish’, it quickly became a valuable food source, especially in riverside communities.

In the backwaters of the Po — pools of stagnant water formed by flooding — the catfish proliferated, becoming one of the most accessible ingredients for farming families.

Ph. Depositphotos

Ingredients

4 catfish
300 g tinned peeled tomatoes
1 onion
1 stick of celery
1 clove of garlic
Parsley, to taste
2 handfuls of fresh peas
Oil for frying
Cornflour
Salt

Process

Preparing the fish: The catfish must be thoroughly cleaned and any inedible parts removed.
Coating and frying: The pieces are coated in cornflour and fried in hot oil until golden brown.
The sauté: in a pan, prepare a base with onion, celery and garlic.
Stewing: add the peeled tomatoes, peas and then the fried fish.
Slow cooking: cook everything slowly, allowing the flavours to blend until a rich and fragrant sauce is achieved.

Traditionally, the dish is served with polenta, which is perfect for soaking up the sauce.

A dish that tells a story

Al Pés Gàt is not just a recipe: it is a testament to an ecosystem that has now largely disappeared. With the transformation of the floodplains and the shrinking of the oxbow lakes, the catfish’s habitat has also been drastically reduced.

Yet, in the kitchens of Gualtieri, this dish lives on, preserving the bond between man, river and memory. Every mouthful here is a journey through time, between the oxbow lakes of the Po and the stories of the riverside cooks who transformed a humble fish into a symbol of identity.

In collaboration with: Comune di Gualtieri