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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Hardwater Cuisine => Topic started by: Joe in T.C. on Jan 10, 2015, 10:28 AM
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I was asked for a step by step recipe for my fried perch. So I thought I would post it here in case any of you wanted to try it.
Perch Prep:
Keep the Perch as fresh and cold as possible. Scale, fillet and slice out the rib bones. Don't worry about the pin bones, you won't notice them unless it a Sumo jumbo Perch.
Only rinse the fillets as much as needed to clean them, don't over rinse, it washes away natural juices and flavor. Also don't soak or store the fillets in water, this also takes away flavor and can make the fillets mushy. I store my in a Ziploc plastic bag in the refrigerator until I'm ready for them.
Dry Seasoned Breading:
One (1) 10 ounce box of Drake's Crispy Fry Mix.
One (1) 10 ounce Bag of Andy's Fish Breading.
Two (2) teaspoons of Garlic Salt.
You can customize this to your liking by adding or subtracting dry ingredients like cyan pepper, Cajun seasoning, onion salt etc...
Blend all ingredients well. A wire whip and large bowl works well. This will make enough for several fish Fry's, store dry breading in an air tight container.
Breading the Perch:
I don't use an egg wash, just the moisture of the fish will hold the breading on. Make sure the fillets are very moist but not wet. Put the fillets in a one gallon Ziploc bag and add as much breading as you think you need. You will get good at guessing how much after a few fish Fry's. Seal the bag except a small bit at the end. Now blow into the small part you didn't seal until it's blown up like a balloon, and then seal completely. You guessed it, time to shake and shake until all of the fillets are evenly coated. Add more breading if needed.
Frying the perch:
Use a heavy walled skillet, this will help maintain an even cooking temperature. A cast iron Dutch Oven does a great job.
Heat oil to 375 to 400 degrees. Some people can tell when the oil ready by how it glistens and shimmers.
I prefer to use a candy thermometer to know when it's ready.
I always use peanut oil. I've read several times that the allergens in peanuts are not in the oil, but tell everyone its peanut oil anyways, just to be safe.
When the fish starts floating it's done, over cooking fish will make it greasy. As fish cooks in oil, steam and pressure builds up inside the fish and pushes out, this keeps the oil from entering the fish. Once the fish is cooked that pressure starts to lessen and oil starts to enter the fish.
Draining and storing the Perch after frying:
Always drain and store freshly fried fish on a wire rack, never on a paper towel or cloth. If your fish is sitting on greasy paper towels, it will start absorbing that oil back into the fish.
Deep fried fish tails:
Our family has been frying and eating fish tails since I can remember. I thought that was the norm, I was told it's not. Bluegill tails are the best deep fried, Perch are very good but start to get a bit boney. If you use a drum fish scaler clip off the tails before you scale the fish. The drum takes off all the good stuff off the tails. Tails from larger fish like pike are good too, but just some of the outside edge is edible.
Serve And Enjoy! :tipup:
NOTE: updated please see Part 2
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Looks tasty I will try it thanks
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tasty......gonna try.....dem perch look like a smelt fry
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great way to make them. I love the old school melmac texas ware bowl.
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Just the sight of the perch makes me hungry. Thanks for sharing.
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Now I'm hungry.
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Looks very good. :thumbsup:
Thanks for all the time you spent putting this together for us!
Very much appreciated!
WS
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Looks good...I'll have to try to find the batter online... My buddy eats the tails too...says they fry up crispy like a potato chip... not sure that I'm ready to try that yet...
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Looks good. I use pank bread crumbs,and deep fry. My arteries are clogging up by looking at that! Lol
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Wow, thanks for posting that. I used to gnaw on some fish tails with my Grandma, good tip that the bluegill tails are the best. I fish for those a lot. :tipup: :tipup: :tipup:
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Great post, thanks. I've been looking for a way other than beer batter and I've found it.
One question, you mention you keep the fillets in the refrigerator until you need them. Are you meaning just while preparing the oil and breading mix, or will you store them for several days? How many days of storing them do you consider safe? I've always tried to eat them the next day simple because I've never known how long they will last. Knowing they would keep for a few days would be a big help.
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The fresher the better, but they will hold in the refrigerator for a day maybe two or three, just keep them in the coldest part.
I will get some flak for this, but you can also freeze them.
Put them on a cookie sheet with wax paper so the fillets are not touching each other and cover with some saran wrap and let them firm up. Then toss them in your vacuum bag and vacuum pack them. This way they are frozen individually and not in a block.
Then you can let them partially thaw, bread them and cook them while they are still somewhat frozen.
They will last for several months frozen. Puncture the bag when thawing so the don't thaw under a vacuum.
If you don't have a vacuum packer, wrap each fillet in saran wrap making sure all of the air is out, seal in a Ziploc bag and freeze.
Frozen is not as good as fresh but I have found that people will still eat them :)
Good Luck :tipup:
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Thanks for the info, Joe. I do have a vacuum sealer. I've had minimal luck with it at keeping Lake Ontario Salmon fresh and edible but that might be more about the taste of salmon than it is about the sealer. I'll certainly give freezing perch a try.
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Looks great..i never knew about yseingvthe rack and dont overdue with rhe steam explanation...dam i want fried fish tnite now...
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Thanks for the recipe ..... Almost identical to how my grandfather taught me. We never had a thermometer for the oil .... Just put a wooden stick match in the oil and when it lights the oil is hot enough to fry fish.
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I have to try that match trick! Can you use the same match everytime you check till it lights, or fresh dry one everytime?
4C bread crumbs have a nice spicy hot chipotle PANKO flavor. Yums.
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Just put the match in the oil after is starts to get hot ....... When the oil gets hot enough it will light the match . Sometimes the wood stick will get kinda black before it lights the head
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WOW ---They look great!!!!! Add a cold brew ---man-o-man I'm getting hungry. I would like to get out this weekend , but the temps are suppose to be very very low and with all the new snow added on the lake I may have to try mid-week. Gunner
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glad to know there are others out there that eat the tails too. My friends think I'm crazy for doing it. Love the bluegill tails.
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So how do you cook fish tails?
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i thought that match trick was a canadian thing! ;D works like a charm forsure.
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Works great for chicken fingers as well.
Slice a boneless, skinless chicken breast into strips and deep fry.
Try slicing one breast with the grain and the next one against the grain and take a vote on which one is the favorite. Of course now i have to slice them both ways, so everyone's happy :)
Add your favorite dipping sauces and enjoy!
Good Luck All :tipup:
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pass the fish please hungry hippo here
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Has any of you tried one of those air fryers? Do they work or are they a gimmick?
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This is exactly how I do my fish fry as well, it makes for a very tasty batter! But it's not heavy or in the way, it allows the fish to shine. I do most all fresh water fish this way and it gets scarfed every time! My batter is Tony's red or Cajun, with cayanne, garlic, onion powders and salt added. I love the idea of adding air to the bag! Thanks for sharing.
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Has any of you tried one of those air fryers? Do they work or are they a gimmick?
I don't have one, but I hear they work well on prepackaged, brown and serve frozen foods that have added fat and oil. Like Ore Ida fries or tots and most heat and eat fish sticks.
As for a actual deep fried comparison I've been told they are not even close. Which sounds reasonable since its hot air pushed by a fan, similar to a convection oven.
good luck all :tipup:
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updated recipe
please see part two