PIKE BALLS

[WYIfish]

Despite the silly name, the're really very good and a great way to serve up a somewhat greasy fish,   
Think of them as the fish style of meat loaf, only in ball shapes for faster cooking.

I will offer general directions due to the availability of pike.

fillet pike, taking out the Y bones, removing the skin, and mud lines off the outer ribs and belly areas.

cut up fillets in 1 inch or so in size.

Put chunks in boiling water that a couple of tablespoons of salt has been added.
cook for three or four minutes or until they look cooked. This is to firm up the meat for the next step.
as you remove the chunks, inspect for any Y bones missed.
put fish, eggs, crackers in a large dish and mix as you would a meat loaf.
 
add salt, pepper, a little celery salt and what ever you would like to add for spices. garlic powder is also good.
Try not to over power the fish flavor with too much spicing.

after mixing, roll up in round balls to a size that suits your fancy and pop in a large fry pan of hot grease.

Remove when lightly browned and place on a platter lined with paper towel to absorbe the grease.

bone appatite.

[tbern]

Sound good, thanks for the recipe!

[ran7ger]

i do very similar but add mashed potatoes and chopped onion and instead of boiling the fish put it through the grinder.  mix the whole kit n kaboodle and fry in butter with a side of beer.

[WYIfish]

Mmm.....beer.

[Mevi]

Are you saying that Northern Pike is greasy? In my humble opinion, Pike can be compared to walleye if cleaned correctly.

[Doubles Shooter]

I've never found pike to be greasy at all. Trout and salmon are another story. Sounds like a great way to enjoy them toothy critters though. I've got 10-12 pounds of fillets destined for the smoker. I'll pull a few aside and give it a try.

[reelrusty]

Hmmm...... Have ya tried this method with Lake Trout? I'll bet ya have given yer location. How did they turn out?

[saltcatzach]

sounds good!

[WYIfish]

Hmmm...... Have ya tried this method with Lake Trout? I'll bet ya have given yer location. How did they turn out?

I bet that lake trout would be an excellent canidate for lake trout balls.

[HardwaterPiker]

Are you saying that Northern Pike is greasy? In my humble opinion, Pike can be compared to walleye if cleaned correctly.

I have to agree with this statement. In my younger days I'd always let northerns go when I caught them during the summer, didn't want to deal with the slime. But since I learned how to debone them, I'll keep a couple 8-10 pounders for a feed if I'm lucky enough to get them that size, any smaller and there is to much waste IMO.

[captain54]

I always let pike go,at any size. Then one day I caught one in the 37-38" range. It was sorta deep hooked and bleeding slightly. I decided to keep it and try to learn how to fillet them. I remember eating shore lunches in  Canada where walleye and pike where served together over a roaring fire with fried potatoes and baked beans. I always keep bigger pike,very lean white flesh fish of very mild flavor. You watch a  video and learn to fillet them. The only thing greasy and smelly is the outside slime. Hard to believe  that there that good. Very comparable to walleye. My family really likes pike.  Fried pike is very good,I also take boneless fillets and make a great pike cake very similar to  crab cakes. Add minced red bell pepper,onions,celery,raw egg,a few bread crumbs old bay seasoning. Pan fry in half oil and butter.