Reader Donna Franklin Johnson grew up eating this homey catfish dish — made with catfish too large to fry — on the banks of the Ogeechee River, and she shared the recipe for our ongoing project. The savory and unusual flavor combination inspired chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene, a member of our Saving Southern Food chefs panel, to devise an uptown version. Either way, it's a winner.

The contributor: Donna Franklin Johnson, a retired city planner and landscape architect who recently moved to Decatur to be close to her daughter, Susan Vann, and granddaughter Elizabeth.

Family photo (ENLARGE)

Mary Altman Franklin and William D. Franklin of Statesboro passed along a love of food to their daughter.

LOUIE FAVORITE/Staff (ENLARGE)

In his version, chef Linton Hopkins wraps the bacon around the catfish instead of layering the ingredients.

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She credits her love of food to both parents, as well as "a fantastic home ec teacher, Mrs. Elvyn Deloach," who she says also gave her "a lifelong interest in cooking, sewing, crafting and homemaking activities — in the days before HGTV."

The story: "I grew up in Statesboro, the county seat of Bulloch County and 52 miles northwest of Savannah. Bulloch County is also bounded by the Ogeechee River, a mystical place for me during my growing up — boating, wading, fishing, exploring the sandbars and the banks when the river was low. The sights, smells and sounds were wondrous.

"My parents were Bill D. and Mary (Altman) Franklin, also Bulloch County natives, both now deceased. My daddy owned one of those small neighborhood grocery stores (Northside Food Store) when I was in grammar school and later Franklin's Nursery. My mom's daddy, W.R. Altman, owned property along the rivers (Ogeechee and Savannah) and also had a 'pond house,' a sort of cabin he built right after World War II from half of a surplus Army barracks.

"At that time, it had no indoor plumbing or electricity, and a wood-burning stove, so it was always a big adventure for me and my younger sisters, Mandy and Caroline, and brother Joe, to visit all the relatives there and at places at the river — summer holidays, birthdays, weekends and such.

"Part of visiting the pond house and the river places was always sharing food, of course, and one of my favorites was the catfish mulldown, usually accompanying a fish fry — although I could make a meal off of the mulldown alone. If we were lucky enough to catch a couple of large catfish, or if someone was fishing a local pond (in conjunction with draining it), or if a neighbor shared some of his good luck, my daddy would make mulldown at home, so I would watch.

"Not everyone is that excited about dressing catfish — it's a lot more complicated than preparing redbreast or bass. They have to be skinned and they can barb you in the process. And the big catfish don't fry that well. 'Fish & chicken fingers' hadn't been invented yet. It was something he and I would do as a cooking project, even after I married.

"I haven't made catfish mulldown in quite some time; it's hard to make just a little bit, and the potato doesn't freeze well."

Donna Johnson's Daddy's Catfish Mulldown
4 to 6 servings

Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 1/2 hours

This is an old-fashioned layered catfish stew made with catfish that are too large to fry. Donna Johnson, who submitted the recipe, suspects it was traditionally made over an open hearth or fire. It's a classic country recipe made with what's on hand - bacon, potatoes and onion.

Atlanta cookbook author Virginia Willis tested both recipes.

1 pound bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut 1/4 inch thick
1 large yellow onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 pounds bone-in catfish steaks, preferably wild, or 2 pounds U.S. farm-raised catfish fillets
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water

Layer the ingredients in a large cast-iron Dutch oven, starting with the bacon, then potatoes, onion and catfish, seasoning between each layer with salt and pepper. Repeat, ending with a layer of bacon. Spread ketchup over bacon. Add water down the side of the pot.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat is falling from the bone, about 1 hour. Serve immediately, or remove to a rack to cool. Once cooled, refrigerate overnight and reheat over medium heat the next day.

Per serving (based on 4): 970 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 74 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 62 grams fat (21 grams saturated), 228 milligrams cholesterol, 2,270 milligrams sodium.

Catfish Mulldown, Eugene-style
4 servings

Hands on: 45 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Chef Linton Hopkins' version of a Catfish Mulldown shares the same flavors as the old-fashioned riverside version, but in a decidedly uptown way.

8 (3-ounce) catfish fillets
Salt
16 thin slices bacon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, preferably Vidalia, thinly sliced
12 fingerling potatoes, cut in 1/4-inch rounds
2 cups tomato puree
1/4 cup water
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped bread and butter pickle, for garnish

Place two catfish fillets on top of each other. Season with salt. Place 4 slices of the bacon, slightly overlapping, on a clean work surface. Place the fish on top and wrap the fish in bacon. Using a sharp knife, cut off the length so that the bacon just overlaps on the bottom side. Set aside. Repeat with remaining catfish fillets and bacon slices.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until clear and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add potatoes, tomato puree, water and bay leaf. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add parsley, and taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add reserved catfish bundles and cook until crispy and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

When ready to serve, spoon the tomato sauce onto a warm plate. Top with a catfish bundle. Garnish with minced bread and butter pickle and serve immediately.

Per serving: 911 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 46 grams protein, 93 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams fiber, 42 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 115 milligrams cholesterol, 1,430 milligrams sodium.