Cooking up the catch

[Mobasser]

I've eaten fried fish as long as I can remember. As a kid, we kept most everything that was big enough to cook. Bass, bullhead catfish, and bluegill all went into the skillet. Now, we mostly cook crappie with an occasional bass or two thrown in. I release 99% of the bass we catch, but I think the smaller 15" bass are good eating too. There are many fish fryers on the market, electric and propane. I'm sure these work well, but I've never purchased one. I've had cast iron pots for a long time, so this is what I use. We have 2 cast iron kettles. One is 10" and 5" deep, flat on the bottom, the other is a "cowboy" style dutch oven, 12" by 5" deep, with 3 small legs on the bottom. I've used this one on a Coleman camp stove, as the legs fit down between the grates. Cast iron is heavy, but holds heat very well, and heat control is really the secret to cooking anything. As colder fillets are dropped into the oil, it's important to keep the oil hot, which cooks the fish better. Over the years, We've tried different batters- flour, cornmeal, or both. They are both good, but I'm wanting to try some of the fish batters from the grocery store too. We have a big fish fry every July4rth. Seldom are any left. For you fish lovers: do you have any special batters or seasoning you like to use? I especially like my fried fish with a couple shots of Louisiana hot sauce. What are your methods for cooking fish? I love a fish fry.

[Deleted account]

2 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

I've eaten fried fish as long as I can remember. As a kid, we kept most everything that was big enough to cook. Bass, bullhead catfish, and bluegill all went into the skillet. Now, we mostly cook crappie with an occasional bass or two thrown in. I release 99% of the bass we catch, but I think the smaller 15" bass are good eating too. There are many fish fryers on the market, electric and propane. I'm sure these work well, but I've never purchased one. I've had cast iron pots for a long time, so this is what I use. We have 2 cast iron kettles. One is 10" and 5" deep, flat on the bottom, the other is a "cowboy" style dutch oven, 12" by 5" deep, with 3 small legs on the bottom. I've used this one on a Coleman camp stove, as the legs fit down between the grates. Cast iron is heavy, but holds heat very well, and heat control is really the secret to cooking anything. As colder fillets are dropped into the oil, it's important to keep the oil hot, which cooks the fish better. Over the years, We've tried different batters- flour, cornmeal, or both. They are both good, but I'm wanting to try some of the fish batters from the grocery store too. We have a big fish fry every July4rth. Seldom are any left. For you fish lovers: do you have any special batters or seasoning you like to use? I especially like my fried fish with a couple shots of Louisiana hot sauce. What are your methods for cooking fish? I love a fish fry.

It really depends on the fish. Some are white flaky and solid and hold together well when fried. In this case the coating is really to get that golden brown and to add the desired flavors, so less is more. With softer more delicate fish, a heavier or wet batter is better to get the desired results and keep everything together. Google beer batter for the latter and Peruvian jalea for the former. I have a bunch of cod and some halibut in the freezer, and fresh sea bass and tog, so I'm a happy camper right now. Completely agree with the oil temp thing, make or brake right there.

[flatcreek]

I like about 3 to 1 corn meal to flour ratio (dry) with salt and pepper mixed in.peanut oil is a must for me and my crowd.hot sauce is always on the table.

[scaleface]

 i like to cook fish in Andys Red using a General Electric Fryer   . It holds a 4 liters of oil and has a basket .I eat as many bass as I legally can from small lakes that need thinning out .  I have a large cast iron fryer I rescued from a barn . It has three or four inch sides but I havent used it yet . Its pretty rusty but salvageable .  

[Jig Man]

When I fry I use corn meal on the fillet pieces after they have been dipped in a batter of milk, egg, and mustard.  Toss them in my Fry Daddy and let them turn golden.  Never let them cook very long.  It will ruin the texture and flavor.

 

But for today, I have a 6# walleye filleted.  I'm going to put some olive oil and lemon pepper on it and pop it on the smoker for about 2 hours then have it with home made hash browns and asparagus, a wonderful lunch coming up.

[JustJames]

Doesn’t look as good as fillet but taste way better, “my wife’s word”

[Deleted account]

37 minutes ago, JustJames said:

Doesn’t look as good as fillet but taste way better, “my wife’s word”

Nice! There was a guy who named a knot after himself I used to fish with many moons ago who steamed a really good LMB.

[Catt]

The keys to frying anything is having hot grease, personally I like around 350°.

 

Zatarain's Seasoned Fish Fry taste great on chicken & pork chops! 

[flatcreek]

350 is the deal!

58 minutes ago, JustJames said:

Doesn’t look as good as fillet but taste way better, “my wife’s word”

Is that a fluke tail sticking out in his mouth?

[Mobasser]

23 minutes ago, Catt said:

The keys to frying anything is having hot grease, personally I like around 350°.

 

Zatarain's Seasoned Fish Fry taste great on chicken & pork chops! 

This is what I want to try also Catt. Zatarains makes some good stuff. That cast iron pot looks just like one I have. I like their "Cajun" hot sauce too

[Deleted account]

Oh yeah, hot sauce for sure, but I guess I'm gonna have to bring my own lemon...

First annual BR friendly and fish fry.

[flatcreek]

9 minutes ago, reason said:

Oh yeah, hot sauce for sure, but I guess I'm gonna have to bring my own lemon...

First annual BR friendly and fish fry.

2nd on the lemon and I'll add Vidalia onions

[the reel ess]

I use House Autry seafood breader and cook fish in a Fry Daddy when I cook them. But I rarely keep any bass and I only fish for bass so I don't fry much anymore. I love to go to a seafood restaurant and get a pan-seared snapper, black sea bass, grouper or triggerfish. 

[Koz]

One of my favorite seasonings for fresh fish is Tony Chachere's Original Creole. It's also great on beef, chicken, and eggs.

 

https://www.tonychachere.com/Original-Creole-Seasoning-Multi-Pack-P1268.aspx

[Catt]

4 hours ago, flatcreek said:

I'll add Vidalia onions

 

Onion Rings & Hush Puppies  ?

 

2 hours ago, Koz said:

Tony Chachere's Original Creole

 

Tony Chachere's founded 1972

Zatarain's founded 1889

 

You tell me which one is the "original" Creole Seasoning?

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Little salt, dash of pepper and broil it.

 

My position is - How can you adulterate the taste of fish by sealing it in bread or piling on strong seasonings?

[Catt]

21 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Little salt, dash of pepper and broil it.

 

My position is - How can you adulterate the taste of fish by sealing it in bread or piling on strong seasonings?

 

So one can put a dash of salt & pepper but one can only pile on Cajun seasoning!

 

Interesting  ?

[MN Fisher]

31 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

So one can put a dash of salt & pepper but one can only pile on Cajun seasoning!

 

Interesting  ?

Anytime I've had Cajun - either at a restaurant or someone's house - they SEEM to have buried the fish in spice...not a 'dash', but to my taste buds, half the bottle.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Anytime I've had Cajun - either at a restaurant or someone's house - they SEEM to have buried the fish in spice...not a 'dash', but to my taste buds, half the bottle.

 

I guarantee you that aint Cajun cooking!  ?

[WRB]

You can't debate Cajun cooking with a Cajun

Tom

[Koz]

On 12/15/2018 at 5:05 PM, Catt said:

 

Onion Rings & Hush Puppies  ?

 

 

Tony Chachere's founded 1972

Zatarain's founded 1889

 

You tell me which one is the "original" Creole Seasoning?

 

 

 

I haven't tried Zatarains creole seasoning but a lot of the other stuff is good.

 

I was GM of a Marriott in Lafayette, LA a long time ago and both Tony Chachere's and Mcilhenny's were two of our top clients and they provided my team and I lots of free samples and merchandise. Since then I've been loyal to those brands. Even after I moved I'd buy Tony's by the case. Give it a try sometime.

[WRB]

Our family never deep fried anything, we pan fried fish in light vegetable oil using big cast iron frying pans. Mixture of Bisquick and bread crumbs seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper. Trout, bass and crappie were the fish we cooked. My wife's family did a very similar cooking method except over camp fire as a shore lunch in Canada, walleyes were the fish they ate.

Larger fish like backed by scoring the fish skin with slices, brushing with oil,seasoning with all spice and covering with lemon slices.

Today I barque fillets on the grill using Southwest spices and lemon.

Tom

 

[TOXIC]

To me there's no difference between "pan frying" and "deep frying" just the method in which you submerge your battered fillet in hot oil.    Since the majority of my locally caught fish are Crappie, the methods are (ranked in order of my taste).  First and best is battered in my turkey fryer with a good quality peanut oil then hushpuppies and home cut fries after the fish in the same oil.  Batter is either a simple flour, beer, egg wash, spiced cracker crumb or believe it or not, Uncle Bucks is a good batter.  While I love spicy food, I have found you can overpower the taste of Crappie pretty easily, so I go light. I go a little heaver on the spice with Perch or Walleye because they have a more pronounced flavor that you can still taste through the spices.   Cleanup and the cost of peanut oil makes my favorite kind of a pain in the rear.  Second is just the fillets on a fish rack basted with garlic butter on the grill.  Third is broiled in the oven, no batter.  I do like to consume fish and will say some of the best I ever ate was Cajun Catfish nuggets.  I grew up eating fried Carp sandwiches from Joe Tess' restaurant (don't knock it till you've tried it).  I've had my fair share of many species of ocean going fish prepared in many different ways.  Many other fresh water as well.  I'm not that fond of trout.  My wife and daughter ate a lot of Tilapia until I showed them how it was raised.  They switched to Salmon and I make sure they purchase wild caught and not farm raised (another bad internet expose').  I like sushi a lot.  I do consume my fair share of fish but I am getting more concerned with all of the consumption advisories nowadays.  

[Mobasser]

52 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

To me there's no difference between "pan frying" and "deep frying" just the method in which you submerge your battered fillet in hot oil.    Since the majority of my locally caught fish are Crappie, the methods are (ranked in order of my taste).  First and best is battered in my turkey fryer with a good quality peanut oil then hushpuppies and home cut fries after the fish in the same oil.  Batter is either a simple flour, beer, egg wash, spiced cracker crumb or believe it or not, Uncle Bucks is a good batter.  While I love spicy food, I have found you can overpower the taste of Crappie pretty easily, so I go light. I go a little heaver on the spice with Perch or Walleye because they have a more pronounced flavor that you can still taste through the spices.   Cleanup and the cost of peanut oil makes my favorite kind of a pain in the rear.  Second is just the fillets on a fish rack basted with garlic butter on the grill.  Third is broiled in the oven, no batter.  I do like to consume fish and will say some of the best I ever ate was Cajun Catfish nuggets.  I grew up eating fried Carp sandwiches from Joe Tess' restaurant (don't knock it till you've tried it).  I've had my fair share of many species of ocean going fish prepared in many different ways.  Many other fresh water as well.  I'm not that fond of trout.  My wife and daughter ate a lot of Tilapia until I showed them how it was raised.  They switched to Salmon and I make sure they purchase wild caught and not farm raised (another bad internet expose').  I like sushi a lot.  I do consume my fair share of fish but I am getting more concerned with all of the consumption advisories nowadays.  

Toxic, I'm 61 now, and as far as I can tell eating fried fish hasn't hurt me yet. There are advisories of course. In moderation, it's fine. If we believe everything all the doctors tell us, we'd all be living on carrot sticks. We only go around once, gotta enjoy some of these things too.

[the reel ess]

37 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

Toxic, I'm 61 now, and as far as I can tell eating fried fish hasn't hurt me yet. There are advisories of course. In moderation, it's fine. If we believe everything all the doctors tell us, we'd all be living on carrot sticks. We only go around once, gotta enjoy some of these things too.

Here's the low-down on the mercury issue. Unless you're a women who is pregnant or palns to become pregnant, you're not at high risk for the mercury in fish.

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12344/why-eating-fish-is-even-more-dangerous-than-you-thought.html

Here are the PCB risks. Of course, I ate a lot of fried fish when I was younger from areas that now have warnings. The main issue with PCB's for men seems to be related to memory late in life. I don't know that anyone would notice because most old men can't remember much. You might chalk that up to old age.

http://seafood.edf.org/pcbs-fish-and-shellfish

 

Anyway, I stopped eating fish from public waters years ago. There are only two places I take any fish from now. One is a drinking water reservoir and the other is a pond with a natural spring as the headwater.