Panfish

PERCH PERFECTION

1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 c white vinegar
1/4 c water

Combine the dry ingredients. Add water and stir until blended. Add vinegar and stir vigorously. Coat the fillets and fry in oil.

To Pan Fry
Heat 1/8-1/4" oil over medium-high heat until bread cube dropped into oil sizzles. Then fry a few fillets or whole dressed fish at a time, 3 to 5 minutes on the first side; turn. Fry second side until
golden brown and fish flakes in the center. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in 175 oven and keep frying. This is good eating.

FRIED YELLOW PERCH – LAKE ERIE, STYLE

Yield: 6 servings

2# (about 15) fresh or frozen yellow perch
or other small fish, split, cleaned and boned
1 ½ t salt
¼ t pepper
½ c all-purpose flour
2 T cornstarch
1 c water
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 egg white, beaten until stiff
fat for deep fat frying

Thaw fish if frozen. Sprinkle fish with 1 t salt and pepper and set aside. Combine flour, cornstarch and ½ t salt. Now blend together the water and egg yolk; stir into the flour mixture until smooth. Fold in egg white. Dip fish into batter; deep fat fry 350 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size of fish, until fish is golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.

Cut 1# perch fillets into serving size portions. Dip into milk and coat with cornmeal. Heat enough butter in frying pan to cover bottom. Sauté fillets about 5 - 7 minutes per side. Add more butter if needed. Keep fillets warm. Spoon warm garlic-butter sauce over the fillets. The sauce can be found in this website under Sauces.

Bluegill (Top)

2# bluegill fillets
1 t salt
1/2 c celery, sliced 1/4" pieces
2 1/2 oz can mushrooms, sliced and drained
2 T butter, melted
6 oz highly seasoned Bloody Mary mix
1 T cornstarch" baking dish
chopped parsley for garnish

Sprinkle fish with salt. Place fish in a single layer well-greased 11"x 7" baking dish. In a 1 quart saucepan, cook celery, onion, and mushrooms in butter until vegetables are tender. Combine cornstarch and Bloody Mary mix. Add to vegetable mixture and cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Pour sauce over fish and bake 350 oven for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

4 pan-dressed bluegills, 1/2#-3/4# each
2 c fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c onion, chopped
3 T butter, melted
1 c tomato, chopped, seeded and peeled
2 T dry white wine
1/2 t seasoned salt
1/2 t crushed thyme leaves
1/4 t sugar
1/8 t pepper

Rinse fish and pat dry. Cook mushrooms and onions in butter just until onion is tender. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Cut a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil twice the length of a 16"x 10" baking pan. Place foil in pan and lightly grease. Arrange fish in a single layer on foil. Stuff each fish with a tablespoon of sauce. Spread remaining sauce over top of fish. Bring foil over fish and close all edges with tight double
folds.

Bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Carefully open the foil and serve fish with sauce.

FISH MINUTE

2# bluegills or fish fillets
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T scallions, finely chopped
2 T parsley, minced
3/4 - 1 c dry white wine
2 - 3 T fresh bread crumbs

Place fillets in 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with seasonings, scallions and parsley. Add enough wine to almost cover fish. Top with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes until crumbs are browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve hot in baking dish.

1 1 1/2# large bluegill fillets
4 medium unpeeled tomatoes
3 T butter, softened
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t onion, grated
1/2 t salt
1/8 t liquid hot pepper sauce
2 c cooked mashed potatoes
parsley, chopped for garnish

Skin fillets. Divide fish into 4 equal portions. Cut a slice off the top of each tomato and scoop out center. Set aside. Roll fillets turban style and secure with a toothpick. Stand turbans on end in a well-greased 8"x 8" baking dish. Bake in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes.

Combine butter, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire, onion, salt and hot pepper sauce. Remove picks and place a fish turban in each tomato cup. Place stuffed tomatoes in the center of a 12"x 8" well-greased baking dish. Spoon approximately 2 t butter mixture into each tomato cup.

Pipe or spoon seasoned mashed potatoes into the dish around the base of the tomatoes. Bake 350 oven for 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork tomatoes are cooked.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Crappies (Top)

2 t garlic salt
1 1/2 t onion powder
2# crappie or croaker fillets
48 (2 c) round buttery crackers, finely crushed
1/2 c beer
1 egg, beaten
oil for frying

Combine salt and powder and sprinkle fillets with 1/2 t of this mixture. Mix the remainder with cracker crumbs and place on foil or a small shallow bowl. Combine beer and egg in a small dish. Coat both sides with the seasoned cracker crumbs and fry.

FISH JERKY

Crappies, pike, sunfish, bass (fish low in fat)

Please check the Fish Substitution chart under Recipes in the beginning of this website for more fish variety.

Fish should be filleted and skinned, if the skin is tough. Cut the fillets into strips, making them as thin as possible. A good size is 1x6x1/4” thick. Small fish such as smelt need only be cleaned and halved (the small bones can be eaten) and they’re ready to dry.

Dried fish may not sound appetizing to most folk, except maybe to tough mountain men, so adding a little extra flavor will make the jerky more appealing. The fish strips can be dipped in a solution of water, salt, sweetening, and spices according to your tastes. You might want to dip the fish in soy sauce or a homemade flavoring. Soak the strips for a few minutes, drain off the excess liquid, and place in the smoker.

You can put the strips directly on the smoker rack or hang with toothpicks like the beef jerky. Drying fish at a low temperature preserves more nutrients than drying at a high temperature. If the temperature is too high you’ll end up with baked fish.

P.S. We haven’t tried this, so check often after a couple hours.

SHORE LUNCH

Dip your fillets into an egg wash and then into crushed saltine crackers. Season the cracker crumbs with your favorite seasonings. Fry in a pan with a little olive oil and corn oil mix until golden brown. Turn once. Enjoy!

Send mail to llfclegend@sbcglobal.net with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 06/30/11

Send mail to llfclegend@sbcglobal.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/30/11