A currently active thread describes a series of ways to prepare fish.  What is your preference?  Make your selection(s) and add a note that describes any special "treatment" you use for preparation and/or cooking.

dd

I probably shouldn't vote until I find out exactly what seared means.

I fry most often as it's the easiest way to achieve the crunch I so enjoy but there are two ways to fry. One is battered and deep fried. I never do that. I do   (You need to Login or Register most often. Could that be considered seared? What's seared?

Poached has always made me feel really, reeeeeallllly old since chewing is not required but poor man's lobster is good enough to be an every other trip thing and is the next best when I run out of crunch fixens. There is no excuse for overcooking when you poach.

Baked, again there's baked in foil and what, air baked? Both tend to be cumbersome which requires a group trip. The last trout I prepared was in 2003 - my first air baked trout and it was good. The fish part was preferable to foil baked but I missed the cavity rice. I'll do   (You need to Login or Register if it's raining and my tarp is positioned wrong. I tend to intentionally over cook that recipe a bit to regain some of the fish layered texture in the mush.

Grilled requires equipment I've never taken, I think.... BW/Q Sushi IMO would require an emergency of some sort or perhaps a shower and different wardrobe.

Planked has always sounded interesting to me, especially for trout IMO. That would take some doing though too. Again I should ask, what is seared?

Hey, check out this   (You need to Login or Register website! ;D

While tripping I prefer my fish to be pan seared with a little butter and oil, lightly seasoned with a grind or two of sea salt... or with a sprinkle of lemon pepper, or possibly even Tony C's Cajun seasoning!

Bruce

"other" = on a stick over a fire;  occasionally do baked in foil.

I like my waldos 'bronzed', cooked over hot heat w/ 50/50 blend of canola oil & squeeze marjorine. Any seasonings, including cajun, can be used.

I like my lakers baked in foil.

So, one method does not cover me. No vote.

db,

Seared means to brown/scorch over very high heat. Not quite Blackened Cajun hot, but pretty close.
It seals in the flavor and juices and prevents lean cuts of meat/poultry or fish from drying out.
 Oily fish or fatty meat and poultry you can fry with little or no oil in a non-stick pan and they'll be okay.

A lean piece of meat, like a pork loin chop/ non-marbled beef, you sear quickly on both sides and turn down heat, sometimes you would cover with a lid in on a fry pan, or in restaurants they'll put the seared fish/meat in a oven to finish cooking.

You see them doing with large cuts of meat like pot roast all the time on the cooking shows. By searing all 4 sides until caramelized, you lock in the juices and then you roast slowly in oven.
 IF you have thin enough fish fillets, a quick sear on both sides will cook the fish enough. The tricky part comes if the fillets are thick. Then you can end up with the fish appearing done, but when you bite in, you have that "sushi" experience ;D
 The biggest mistake people make is trying to turn the fish/meat before its caramelized, or moving it around with your spatula. That's really important with fish, because until it's seared/caramelized evenly, it will break apart when you try to turn it.

Best thing to do, is give the skillet a little shake when you can see the edges of the fillet curl a little. If the fillet is seared evenly, it will slide easily in pan and it's ready to turn over.

My vote is for baked, as I like Lakers in foil anyway you want too make them.

Old Salt wrote on Nov 18^th, 2009 at 1:38pm:

So, one method does not cover me. No vote.

That's why the lead in says "selections(s)" ... you can vote for more than one "style" on this poll.  BTW:  If you mis-interpreted the poll initially, you should be alble to remove your vote (lower-right corner of the poll panel) and re-vote with more than one selection.

I've not done straight "sushi" on a canoe trip, but I have eaten roe taken directly from the fish ... amazingly salty, but what would you expect of "caviar?"  I've also tasted a few slivers of fish while cleaning.  (Raw fish doesn't really bother me, but I guess to be completely safe from parasites, etc. it should be cooked.)

Searing (as arkansasman/solotripper suggests) is cooking (usually with a skillet) with no or minimal oil.  Typically you need to cut the portion sizes a bit smaller so its easier to cook through, if that is your desire.  So, if your fish is lake trout, you might be able to get away from using any oil.

I realized when I created the poll that fish could be batter fried or fried with seasonings and baked over the fire or in foil.  Ultimately I ran out of poll choices to list (only one unused option when the poll was created).  So, when I asked for "notes/comments" part of that was to identify your cooking style with that selection.

I'll generally cook fish in a style that I'm in the mood for ... so I fry (with and without batter/breading), sear,  poach (usually with beer at home) and bake (in foil)

I guess I'll have to try grilling!  :)
dd

Made fish (baked) tonight for dinner with a shrimp/cream of mushroom sauce poured over the top -YUM!

Basser

FWIW, the "sushi" option for "white meat" isn't a good one for 2 reasons.  One, the taste is very bland and has all the palette pleasure of a rotten apple.  Two, the parasite factor.  May as well cook it.

OTOH, lake trout can inspire a decent sushi - particularly on a cracker with some flavor (triscuits, etc...) or even rolled in rice wrapped in a birch leaf.  Yeah, a birch leaf.  Get out the wassabi!

Searing fish still doesn't resonate in my brain so I watched 2 ehow vids, one on pan frying and the other on searing fish. They were essentially the same except for the pan - same guy too. I guess what I do most could sort-of be called searing but to me searing is what you do with red meat like steak and beef roast.

In any case, no matter how they are prepared, the fish we all eat in the BW/Q are fresh. Cook 'em however you want but that freshness is why my mouth is watering right now. I basically stopped eating fish anywhere else unless I KNOW it's fresh because when it's not, it's almost always a huge disappointment - much like venison that wasn't aged properly.

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I basically stopped eating fish anywhere else unless I KNOW it's fresh because when it's not, it's almost always a huge disappointment

The first time I had Sushi was when I visited my sister and brother in law in CA before they retired to AZ.
 John my brother in law worked with some Japanese guys, who found a mom and pop type sushi place right on the ocean. They had their own boat and made whatever they caught that day. It was so fresh, the fish were flopping when they were cleaning it !
I was a little apprehensive, but dove right in, and every trip out, we made 2-3 trips there.
 Sushi was just starting too be popular then and hadn't made it into MI at that time. Now it's all over, even my local Kroger store has a Sushi Kiosk in the Deli isle. The Sushi guys/gals are all Japanese and make it "fresh" daily. Problem is the "fresh" part? Even though it's probably flown in by jet daily, you wonder how long it was on the big boat before it hit the plane ?
 They were giving out free sample one day, so I tried a few that I recognized. Like db said, I was disappointed :(  It was tasty, but not "fresh" and I never bought any. Other shoppers were raving about how "fresh" it tasted :-?  I asked the Chef when no-one was around about how it compared to right off the boat Sushi? He winked at me, laughed and said he was born and raised in MI, and had never had anything other than flown in Sushi ;D

I will occasionally eat sushi locally and I have consumed the Kroger sushi in a pinch, but by far the VERY best sushi I've ever been served was at a Ryokan (Japanese Inn) in Kyoto (in the Geisha district).  I stayed there for a week ... sleeping on a mat on the floor, being served breakfast and dinner each day, having my hot bath (cedar tub) being drawn for me before dinner, etc.  The food was prepared daily by the staff after a visit to the local market.  Of course, each meal was not sushi (I did develop a taste for beef shabu shabu), but without exception all meals were excellent!

One obvious indication of the quality ... the place was filled with JAPANESE patrons.

dd

I like it fried with cornmeal type breading, baked with lemon and butter, broiled with white cheddar cheese and garlic, sushi with wasabi (and if I can get it served by geisha like DD, I'd love it, even though I don't care for the Japanese business culture...another story), grilled  especially salmon....heck I guess I just like fish. serve it any way you please, as long as it is fresh I'll eat it!

btw,
while reading this I'm eating fresh venison tenderloin, broiled with garlic and Lawry's, and toasted potatoes tossed with olive oil, cilantro, green onion and a dash of red pepper....and of course a glass or two of yellow tail merlot.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread but it is sooooo good!

"much like venison that wasn't aged properly"

Don't mean to change the subject db, but, what is 'proper aging' for venison?

Terp

jimmar wrote on Nov 20^th, 2009 at 1:00am:

I'd love it, even though I don't care for the Japanese business culture...another story

On this trip, I was traveling on my own dime so I didn't have to contend with the business issues.  But it was interesting to walk down the many streets in the area and clearly be the only European-looking person in sight.  (The locals were "courteous from a distant" if there is such a thing.)

dd

I'll have my walleyes fried with a cornmeal type breading in peanut oil or pan seared in Parkay with some kind of spicy seasoning and then added to a rice dish.
Lake trout I like baked with various seasonings and wrapped in foil. Also a favorite is butterfly filleted stuffed trout. For stuffing - Stove Top stuffing mix made with lemon juice instead of water.

Terrapin wrote on Nov 20^th, 2009 at 3:33am:

Don't mean to change the subject db, but, what is 'proper aging' for venison?

I'm no expert but it's controlled rot. It really is and I mentioned it simply due to the rot factor so...

I grew up in farm country and would always joke about my friend's Thanksgiving decorations - hanging deer carcasses....

When I moved away to become a poor student, I'd go back to visit and everyone felt sorry for me and would offer me venison care packages. Not being the proud sort I'd always gladly accept. Of my three sources, one always had the best although they all decorated their yards about the same way. One year my go to guy apologized saying it wouldn't be very good due to the weather. (I'm thinking too cold.) It might have been the power of suggestion but he was right.

These days I only have one source left for venison. A city kid ... almost brother in law who takes his deer directly to the butcher. I'll still enjoy burgers and sausage but have learned to pass on the better cuts, especially if he tells me he had to track it for a while.

This thread is about fish and from where I sit in WI, a fishy taste is decomposing fish flesh. I do not like the smell or taste of rotting fish flesh so freshness is a big deal to me. Melt in your mouth and go ooooh type red meat requires aging and deficiencies in pre-prep are just as noticeable - in reverse.

Last trip, August, I cleaned and bagged an eye on Jean in the morning and had it for dinner 8-10 hours later on Jessy. I expected it to still be edible but it was actually good! I was truly surprised. Go figure.

I'm a big fan of cleaning fish quickly after they are caught and then taking good care of the cleaned fillets. Wash them thoroughly removing excess blood and then keep them as cool as possible until it's time to eat them.
What I think affects fish texture and flavor is towing fish around on a stringer for any length of time beyond 20-30 minutes. Stressed fish release chemicals from their organs that are eventually absorbed by their muscle tissue, the part you eat. If the water is warm say over 60 degrees that speeds up the process significantly. And if they die on the stringer those fish are certainly going to be low quality fare.
For keeping fish cool put the clean fillets in a plastic bag and then into a canvas or other cotton bag that is kept wet and always in the shade. Fish will be ok for several hours kept this way. I like to hang fish in a shady spot where there is a little breeze which enhances evaporation and cooling. They will also dry out more quickly in the breeze so keep an eye on them.

Kingfisher wrote on Nov 20^th, 2009 at 9:33pm:

I'm a big fan of cleaning fish quickly after they are caught and then taking good care of the cleaned fillets. Wash them thoroughly removing excess blood and then keep them as cool as possible until it's time to eat them. What I think affects fish texture and flavor is towing fish around on a stringer for any length of time beyond 20-30 minutes. Stressed fish release chemicals from their organs that are eventually absorbed by their muscle tissue, the part you eat. If the water is warm say over 60 degrees that speeds up the process significantly. And if they die on the stringer those fish are certainly going to be low quality fare. For keeping fish cool put the clean fillets in a plastic bag and then into a canvas or other cotton bag that is kept wet and always in the shade. Fish will be ok for several hours kept this way. I like to hang fish in a shady spot where there is a little breeze which enhances evaporation and cooling. They will also dry out more quickly in the breeze so keep an eye on them.

+1

I was told the proper way to cook a fish is to start a fire and get the pan hot before making a cast! I did this once, but frying up fillets at 11:30 pm seemed like ringing a dinner bell.

The other few times we have eaten fish on a canoe trip, I immediately cut the gills to bleed the fish before filleting. We then headed back to camp and started a fire. I was told to do this from someone I know who worked in a fresh fish/seafood store. I guess the theory was that it improved the flavor of the meat.

Anyone else hear anything like this?

Yeah, that's how it's done in Alaska! The gills are cut to bleed the fish. Salmon is great that way. I'm hoping to try this method in 2010 in Q.

How, exactly, do you cut the gills? Angle? Where? Pretty quick death I assume?

I use a stiff fillet knife and sever the spine on game fish, assuming it ends any possible suffering and bleeds 'em out. Slicing the spine is the hardest part so if you were a fish, how'd you rather go?

I've bagged more often since the white headed walleye trip. I needed to deep six two carcasses on that trip since the gulls weren't cooperating at one campsite. Cleaning fish wherever, away from any campsites is always a plus.

Yo Jimmar,

How happy I am to see your message, because as much as I rave to my friends about fresh Quetico fillets (or chunks or shreds, i.e. sometimes we make fish stew and gumbo, for variety), I was tempted to post a venison-related message.

What's better: Walleys or smallies cooked over a fire of pine coals on the edge of a lake in the north woods, while watching the northern lights and listening to the loons?

Or peppered venison loin seared over a fire of black locust coals on the edge of the dark Kentucky woods, while watching the Leonids and listening to the coyotes and an owl?

At this moment, I cannot say.

And sorry for digressing from the thread, but after a week of sleeping out and savoring deer cooked a dozen different ways, with my hands curled around a rifle and a field-dressing knife, the paddle and fillet knife seem distant memories.

Oh, and quickly:

Re: "properly aging" the venison. More sins have been committed against a vension carcass than are in the Bible. How many non-hunters have been turned off venison because the animal wasn't shot properly and the meat properly afterward?

Re: how we cook fish. Another in the group, he the fish-maestro, has assumed all fish-cooking responsibilities over the years. The rest of us would not presume to get in his way. But we typically pan fry (often for a sandwich lunch) tho sometimes we poach (the fillets not the game animals). And yes, sometimes a stew with rice. And baked once or twice in foil.

-- kypaddler

db wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2009 at 7:08am:

How, exactly, do you cut the gills? Angle? Where? Pretty quick death I assume?

Just a quick slash cut to the gills on both sides. Sorry, I don't have any gory pics. They bleed out pretty fast. We also clubbed them, immediately upon landing, to kill them before employing this technique. If you 'google' 'alaska fishing', you will find some good pics and videos.

kypaddler wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2009 at 2:32pm:

What's better: Walleys or smallies cooked ..... Or peppered venison loin seared.... -- kypaddler

They both sound pretty darn good to me!!! As deer season winds down I start daydreaming about camping and fishing again.

On aging...ok if you can control the time at temp(keep it from freezing/thawing/freezing or keep it cool enough, 40F to 50F) I do all my own processing, lots of debate on this topic but back to fish..

I was on a walleye charter on the Detroit River, and the captain (who has thousands of walleye go into his live well each year and spend a few years in the pro tournaments) did cut just below the gills to bleed the fish. Then pumped in fresh water before returning to the slip.

because the animal wasn't shot properly and the meat properly afterward?

I left out a word. "meat properly HANDLED afterward."

sorry.

Carry on with the fish discussion....

-- kypaddler

[quote author=db link=1258519214/20#22 date=1258960086]How, exactly, do you cut the gills? Angle? Where? Pretty quick death I assume?[quote]

Yes exactly as OS described. Not sure if hitting them on top of the head always kills them, but it does seem to knock them out. I don't enjoy doing it, but it seems like the quick and humane thing to do. I also thank the fish for providing me with its life.

HAS ANYBODY EVER TRIED WHITE WINE AND HERB MARINATE ON YOUR FISH FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES.IT HAS 1/4 CUP OF OLIVE OIL IN IT SO AFTER IT MARINATES YOU POUR IT ALL IN YOUR SKILLET.THE WALLYS WILL CRAWL OUT OF THE PAN.BEST I HAVE EVER TRIED.I LOVE SHORE LUNCH BATTER BUT JUST SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

BrownTrout01 wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2009 at 5:54pm:

I also thank the fish for providing me with its life.

You thank the fish?

I believe KF is correct about the chemicals being released in a poorly handled fish. I see people hauling a loaded stringer of fish down the lake or across portages all the time. I think they would enjoy the fresh fish taste more if they stopped and filleted/cleaned the fish as he mentioned, and stored in a wettable canvas or cloth bag.
I hauled a clean and gutted laker down the length of Sturgeon on a 90 degree day, stopping occasionally to re-soak my canvas bank coin bag I use as a "cooler". Kept it under my seat out of the sun. Was still cold too the touch hours later when I grilled it.

 I agree with the comments about properly aged/ taken venison.
Milos Cihelka, who was the owner/chef at the famous Golden Mushroom restaurant in the Detroit area, was born and trained in Europe and his place was famous for it's wild game menu. He was/is a hunter and in Europe, they "age" all their game, from small to large.

 My late Dad was a life long deer hunter. He wouldn't even let me go until I could put every shot from my weapon of choice into a 9" pie plate at 100 yds offhand. He said that a true sportsman had a obligation to take his game as humanely as possible. A true hunter makes sure his marksmanship skills stay good enough to make a quick/clean kill. Sadly in this 24/7 no-time society we live in, you see guys hitting the woods for deer season with 0 range time and relying on FIREPOWER not skill to take their deer. Dad grew up during the depression. He hunted with a .22 for small game on the farm they owned.  Shells cost money, which was in very short supply then. His Dad would give him a half dozen .22 shells, and he was expected to bring back the same amount in rabbits/squirrels or birds. He hunted for years with a single shot rifle until us kids bought him a lever action .35 Remington. Dad said and science now shows, a wounded animal that you have to track and kill or one that takes multiple hits before you can bring it down, often has tough "gamey" tasting meat. Sometimes the feed is the culprit, but often it's the result of the Adrenaline that has flooded its body as it flees for it's life. I'm sure the same thing happens in a poorly handled fish? Maybe not Adrenaline, but some equally damaging chemical.

 I know people who say they "hate" fish, because it smells/tastes "fishy" :'(
 Then when they have fresh, well prepared fish, they can't believe how good it is ;D

 

PhantomJug wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2009 at 9:40pm:

You thank the fish?

Yep. Things die so others may live, circle of life kind of thing. Well in theory anyway. And since I dont hunt it gives me a chance to participate.

Big medicine up there, dontcha know.

Of course none of this explains my somewhat casual attitude towards C&R.

I always thank my fish before I smack their little craniums with the back of my knife and proceed to butcher and eat them. It's a circle of life thing, just as I was raised, what goes around comes around. I thank campsites as I leave too ... hey, couldn't hurt.

I'll try youtube sometime. Near the bottom? One of the reasons I stopped taking fish home is I never watched the guy who cut out the gills so they'd be legal at the border.

Well ... I admit I always thank the deer and apologize to it before I field dress it. But I've never thought to do the same with a fish. Does that make me a species bigot?

But yes, I agree with the comments about letting fish die on a stringer and then wondering why the taste was affected. We often fillet and bag before portaging, or, if staying in camp, putting them in a sealed plastic container and submerging it with a rock on top to hold it down.

And maybe we're getting too deep in the proverbial weeds here, but do people have recipes they prefer for one type of fish over another? A la fry the smallmouth but poach the walleye?

-- kypaddler

And ST, speaking of .35 Remington rifles, my second-oldest sister  recently decided to go deer hunting with her husband, my hunting mentor and outdoors spiritual partner of 30 years. She shot two deer during her second day in the woods with a pawnshop .35. She brought the picture -- blonde braids, camo-painted face and all -- to school to show her students. They were in awe but not surprised, being as her classroom is full of outdoors "artifacts," including a beaver-chewed stick from the Q and pieces of a pike spine.

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And ST, speaking of .35 Remington rifles, my second-oldest sister  recently decided to go deer hunting with her husband, my hunting mentor and outdoors spiritual partner of 30 years. She shot two deer during her second day in the woods with a pawnshop .35. She brought the picture -- blonde braids, camo-painted face and all -- to school to show her students. They were in awe but not surprised, being as her classroom is full of outdoors "artifacts," including a beaver-chewed stick from the Q and pieces of a pike spine.

 I would be willing to bet, that more deer and black bear have been taken in ( lower 48) with the Winchester 30-30 and Remington .35 than any other caliber. I laugh at all these guys caring Magnum caliber rifles with there vicious recoil for deer hunting in particular. It's all about shot placement not necessarily caliber. My Irish born Grandfather on my Mother's side used to get a deer every year with a single shot .22 rifle. That was back before the DNR set minimal caliber standards. He was the head Greens Keeper at a local golf course, that in that day was in the "boonies". He would take a big wool blanket and a oil lantern into the woods and sit against a stump with the blanket over him and the lantern keeping him warm. Sooner or later a big buck would wander close with curiosity and Granddad would pop him in the head, a quick clean kill shot. All the club members who were also hunters couldn't believe he got a bigger buck every year than they did and with a .22 short too boot ;D

Hot grease release usually into peanut oil. Fillets get dipped in a mixture of egg and honey, then dredged through ground saltine crackers/flour. Did the blind taste test on walleye vs. pike a few years ago. Pike won out every time!

At home I like to prepare drawn stream trout rubbed with olive oil and cilantro, then stuffed with lemon, lime, and orange slices before going on the grill. Might give it a try on a small lake trout this year.

Bleeding out fish will give you a nice clean white fillet (‘cept lakers of course). I’ve never done it in the Q cause I figured it would make a mess. Would you do it from shore at camp? Maybe you could sever a gill and toss them back out on the stringer for a few minutes?  

Hey firetiger, I'm with you on pike. The trick of course is to filet it boneless. Most people I know won't mess with them but I think they are excellent, especially the firmer texture. As for the blood that's what a sharp knife is for. I always get rid of any red meat. I have never tried adding honey to egg. Sounds interesting.

My favorite seasoning is called POTLATCH. You can get it at most Sonoma Williams stores. They use it on salmon typically but it is excellent on all fish (and of course chicken). It will run you about $10 but you just need a little. It goes a long way. Try it!