Walleye

Living on the Great Lakes waterways we eat a lot of fish although that is not always apparent with this blog. Common local caught or caught ourselves fish we enjoy include perch, pickerel, walleye, small and large mouth bass, blue gill, smelt and whitefish but there are other fish like pike, catfish, muskie, sturgeon and salmon. I usually broil or grill fish without any coating or with a light coating when pan frying. I very seldom deep fry fish as in English style fish and chips either because I don't like a heavy coating. Since the method remains the same there is really little to add after the initial entry. When I stop to think about it even though the my methods remain the same, the fish does not. Some fish are better for grilling while others are better for pan frying and others are better for deep frying. Most of the fish we eat have lighter, delicate flavours so are best not overpowered by heavy seasonings or heavy sides.

Decker's Walleye Dinner

Walleye (Sander vitreus vitreusis), a member of the perch family is a freshwater fish common to the Great Lakes, most of Canada and the northern US states. It gets its name from the large light reflecting retina. They can grow up to 30 inches long and weigh about 15 pounds. They are an excellent fish for angling in still waters using minnows, worms or lures.

Walleye has a mild, delicate flavour with a thick, flaky texture. This fish lends itself nicely to pan frying with a light coating. The important thing to remember is the coating should not overpower the fish. It is also very important to never overcook walleye Sides should be kept light as well. The walleye dinner came with sautéed yellow and green zucchini, onions, green peppers and tomatoes, boiled red potatoes and a side tossed salad made with iceberg lettuce, red onions, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Properly pan fried fish should be a light to medium golden brown outside, moist, tender and flaky on the inside. It should be cooked to the point the fish is opaque and no further.

Method: Walleye should be cleaned and filleted. [I'll post this method with step-by-step details the next time I'm cleaning fish.] Place 2 c of unbleached flour in a shallow baking dish. Season the flour lightly with salt, pepper and Old Bay Seasoning or just a little paprika to give just a light hint of colour to the flour when mixed together. Heat a fry pan with about an eighth inch cooking oil to hot which will prevent the fish from sticking. Dredge the fillets in the flour mixture. Place in the fry pan. Fry until light golden brown, turn and fry on the other side until golden brown. Do not over cook!