COOKING SUGGESTIONS

• Crappie Amandine
• Pan Fish Chowder
• Sunfish Fry
• Smoked Fish
• Fried Pike
• Deep-Fried Carp
• Smoked Carp
• Baked Carp
• Baked Catfish
• Fried Catfish
• Pan-Fried Sucker
• Pickled Sucker

Crappie Amandine

white wine
spices: dill seed, oregano, tarragon, pepper, salt
flour
half-and-half cream
grated cheese (mozzarella or Swiss)
slivered almonds
paprika for color

1. Lay the fillets in a baking dish and pour in white wine until the fillets are wet but not awash. Sprinkle spices to taste. Cover the dish and poach the fillets in the microwave for 12 minutes or in an oven for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the fillets to a serving platter, saving the juice.
3. Mix enough flour and half-and-half cream to fill a cup and add to the cooking juices. Add grated cheese and cook the sauce until it thickens.
4. Cover the fillets with the sauce and sprinkle with slivered almonds. If desired, a touch of paprika will add color.
5. Pop the dish under the broiler for a few minutes.

Pan Fish Chowder

2 1/4 lb. (I kg) of pan fish fillets
3 slices fat bacon
6 potatoes (chopped)
2 onions
1 sweet pepper
salt and pepper

1. Chop and fry the bacon until nearly cooked; chop the onion and pepper and add to bacon.
2. Put fried mix into a soup pot and add the chopped potatoes and the fish. Cover with water, bring to slow boil, and simmer until done. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sunfish Fry

egg(s)
flour
spices: salt, pepper, thyme, tarragon
vegetable oil

1. Dip the fillets into whipped egg, then into flour to which you've added the spices.
2. Fry in a light vegetable oil until flaky.
3. Serve immediately.

Smoked Fish

Brine: water salt
filleted fish or cross steaks of fish
brown sugar

Fish can be filleted, but larger fish can also be cut into cross steaks. Leave or remove scales, as desired, but do not remove skin.

1. In enough water to cover fish, add salt until a raw egg floats in the brine.
2. Add 1/2 cup (100 ml) of brown sugar for each cup of salt used.
3. Place the fish in the brine and soak for 12 (for small fish) to 24 hours (for large fish). Add pepper, if desired.

Cooking: water prepared fish

1. Lay a bed of charcoal in the smoker. Use lighter fluid, an electric starter, but never gasoline. Let the fire get a good start before adding any wood.
2. Soak sticks of maple, hickory, or fruit wood in water for half an hour. Make sure the sticks will fit comfortably into your smoker.
3. Add several pieces of wet wood to the charcoal. Fill the water pan two-thirds full with water.
4. Lay the fish on the grill and cover.
5. Smoke the fish, approximately one hour per pound (500 g). The fish is ready when the meat flakes easily from the bone. If necessary, keep adding more wet sticks during smoking.

Fried Pike

pike fillets
bacon
pepper

1. Fillet the pike according to the method described on p. 145.
2. Place several strips of bacon in a frying pan and sizzle until done (but not crisp).
3. Add pike fillets and fry until golden brown, turning them over once. Add pepper to taste. If you prefer, remove fried bacon strips before adding fish and let fish fry in bacon fat.

Deep-Fried Carp

fillets, cubed and scored
milk
eggs
pancake flour
salt
cooking fat

1. Cut fillets into one-inch cubes, and score them from alternate edges.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients, except the fat, and dip the cubes into the mixture.
3. Pop the coated cubes into a deep fat fryer and cook until golden brown ... and enjoy!

Smoked Carp

fillets, scored
salt

1. Fillet and score your carp.
2. Roll the fillets in salt and let stand overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Rinse in fresh water, pat dry.
4. Place in smoker heated to 180° F. (80° C) for four to eight hours, depending on size of fillets, using dry oak, maple, apple, or cherry wood. You'll know when the fish is ready; the delicious meat will fall in tender flakes at the slightest touch of a fork.

Baked Carp

3-4 lb. (1.4-1.8 kg) carp fillets
2 tbsp. (30 ml) salt
Seasoning mix: 4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tsps. (10 ml) pickling spices, 3/4 tsp. (3 ml) paprika

1. Wash and cut the fillets into 6 or 8 slices, and rub them with salt. Let stand in refrigerator overnight.
2. Rinse and dry each slice thoroughly, then rub with the seasoning mix.
3. Let stand in refrigerator for two days.
4. Bake in pre-heated 350° F. (180° C) oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Baked Catfish

2 or 3 medium-sized catfish
canned evaporated milk
1/2 cup (100 ml) flour
1/2 tsp. (2 ml) dry mustard
1/4 tsp. (I ml) marjoram
dash of tarragon
3 tbsp. (45 ml) butter

1. Skin and dress the catfish.
2. Dip it in the milk and then roll in flour and seasonings.
3. Melt butter in a baking dish and put in fish.
4. Bake at 325° F. (160° C) for 20 minutes, turning fish over and baking it on the other side until done, about another 15 to 20 minutes.
5. When done, cover lightly with your favorite fish sauce.

Fried Catfish

catfish fillets, skinned
salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp. (30 ml) condensed milk
cooking fat
Coating: cornmeal, bread crumbs, and soda biscuits

1. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Dip them into a mixture of eggs and condensed milk.
3. Roll them in the coating mixture.
4. Cover bottom of heavy frying-pan with 1/8 inch of melted fat and fry coated fillets at moderate heat until fish is browned on both sides, being careful when you turn them over. Depending on thickness, cooking time is ten to 15 minutes.
5. Drain thoroughly and serve immediately, lightly basted with lemon butter sauce.

Pan-Fried Sucker

sucker fillets
seasoning to taste
butter

1. Pan dress and fillet the sucker; season to taste. If you prefer, score the fillets as you would for carp to hasten cooking time.
2. Fry in butter until flesh crumbles at the touch of a fork.

Pickled Sucker

sucker fillets
Salt solution: 3/4 cup (75 ml) pickling salt, I quart (I L) soft water distilled white vinegar
Pickling solution: I cup (250 ml) soft water, 2 cups (500 ml) white vinegar, 3/4 cup (75 ml) white sugar, 2 heaping tbsp. (30 ml) pickling spice

1. Pan dress and fillet, then cut fillets into bite-sized chunks. Let stand in salt solution for 24 hours.
2. Rinse chunks, then soak in distilled white vinegar for another 24 hours.
3. When fish is ready for pickling, prepare sterile pickling jars as well as your pickling solution by simmering it for 15 minutes.
4. Let pickling solution cool, fill jars with fish chunks, and top with pickling solution. Add flavor enhancers to taste (onion or lemon slices, hot peppers, and pimentos are popular) before sealing jars. Let mature for several days.