Whitefish recipes

4x4bowhunter · #1 01-30-2016, 09:00 PM

I was fishing for Pike on Saturday and this huge white fish kept feeding on something right in front of my camera. After about 10 minutes I reeled up my jig & minnow and put on a small tear drop jig with the tiniest minnow in the tub. I dropped it down and sure enough he grabbed it. 4 .1 pounds. Ive never caught a whitefish before so was looking for ideas on how to cook this guy. I have read that most people smoke them which is what I am thinking I will try. Just looking for some recipes or other ideas to try. I did not think about it when I got home and just filleted it like I would a trout. I got it completely boneless and left the skin on. Now as I am most likely going to smoke it, I am wondering If I should have just left it whole and If I should have de scaled it? Any help, ideas, or recipes is greatly appreciated.

Zip-in-Z · #2 01-30-2016, 09:22 PM

Wife pan fries them same as a walleye fillet, dip's them in egg batter then rolls them in bread crumbs/seasoning, hot fry pan with olive oil or butter ... she add's a bit of fresh lemon at the end, she enjoys them, I can't eat fish.

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BlackHeart · #3 01-30-2016, 09:28 PM

I like to scale them and keep the skin on as it adds to the fish's flavour.
Smoking, in slabs is the best........and nothing tastes better.....in fact I prefer smoke whites over smoked salmon.

Brine it with some spices......don't go too long....rinse salt off, air dry till tacky, smoke on as low as possible, finish in oven to safe temp.

Made in fishcakes they are superb.
Battered in fish n chips, really really good.
Baked in a french tarragon cream sauce.....so damn good.

One of the best/easiest fish to cook.

(keep the skeleton, toss some fresh herbs, a few cloves of garlic and lightly boil = a fish stock for sauces, or boosting your fish dish that has no equal.
And you don't waste anything. In North America we have gotten lazy and wasteful.......and are missing out on such a flavor spectrum that we can't imagine.

Get an old French cookbook on fish/seafood......it will be worth what you spend 10X over.

warbridle · #4 01-30-2016, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zip-in-Z

Wife pan fries them same as a walleye fillet, dip's them in egg batter then rolls them in bread crumbs/seasoning, hot fry pan with olive oil or butter ... she add's a bit of fresh lemon at the end, she enjoys them, I can't eat fish.

.

^^^^ This, but scale it first thing.

Red Bullets · #5 01-30-2016, 09:42 PM

Pan fried is great. Flour, granulated garlic and onion, pepper for the dredge.
Use half oil and half butter for frying. The oil keeps the butter from burning.

If I get a variety of fish a good fish chowder is a treat. Whitefish, pike, walleye and perch in the pot together makes a wonderful chowder.

BPman · #6 01-30-2016, 09:58 PM

Lake whites have a row of "Y" bones as do pike so I remove those bones from the fillet and cook like a walleye. Excellent fare!

4x4bowhunter · #7 01-31-2016, 09:46 AM

Thanks for all the great ideas. I was under the impression that people did not pan fry them and only smoked them (something about them being too oily). I have never targeted them before and I think catching this one was a fluke. Maybe after I eat this one, I might have to start targeting them as everyone here says they are delicious. I think I will just pan fry the same way I do my pike or walleye.

Here's my go to fish recipe: We crush up ritz crackers, add dry pancake batter and add garlic salt, seasoning salt and a bit of parmesan cheese. Dip the fish in egg, then coat in the mixture. Fry in oil and butter till golden brown.

kostianych · #8 01-31-2016, 04:25 PM

smoke it.....

EZM · #9 01-31-2016, 05:49 PM

If you remove (shave) the layer of fat (pinkish brown) carefully with a sharp knife on the skin side the fillet is far less oily and tastes way better.

I won't eat a whitefish without removing this offensive fat and strong fishy flavor found in that layer of tissue.

DOGFISH · #10 01-31-2016, 06:22 PM

We pan fry them after coating with Cajun Fish Crisp. Olive oil in the frying pan let's you know when it is hot enough to start the fish as it will start to smoke at a lower temperature than Canola oil.

pikergolf · #11 01-31-2016, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZM

If you remove (shave) the layer of fat (pinkish brown) carefully with a sharp knife on the skin side the fillet is far less oily and tastes way better.

I won't eat a whitefish without removing this offensive fat and strong fishy flavor found in that layer of tissue.

X2 If this is removed they are a wonderfully flavored fish that can stand on it's own. Battered and fried for me.