Lemon peFried Crappie or Catfish:
We prefer to filet (remove all bones) Crappie and Catfish so the diner doesn't have to worry about pesky bones when eating fish. We find that a quart bag of Crappie or Catfish filets will typically be an adequate amount of fish for up to 4 hungry adults when served with fries, slaw, hushpuppies, or other side dishes of your choosing.
Fish Breading: There are many commercially available fish breading options and we typically use one of the following; Shore Lunch (brown box), Andy's Red (a little spicy), or Zatarans (cajun food taste). If preferred, you can also make your own fish breading by using 3 parts corn meal and 1 part flour, salt, pepper, and any other spices you typically enjoy.
Prepping the filets for cooking: We always wash the fish filets in a kitchen strainer and pick them over carefully to remove any remaining bones, fish skin, etc. After washing, we let the filets drip dry for a few minutes in the sink to minimize the risk of putting wet fish filets in hot cooking oil which can be somewhat dangerous. Also, a damp vs. wet filet will hold fish breading well. When ready to cook, add your fish breading to a 1 gallon zip lock bag so you can drop the filets into the bag, close it, and shake until the filets are coated with breading. I usually put only a few filets in the ziplock bag at a time to insure an even coating of breading. When using a zip lock bag to bread your fish you can simply put the bag in the freezer after each use and use the remainder when cooking fish again.
Cooking; Though some prefer to fry their fish in peanut oil, we typically utilize vegetable oil as some members of our crew have peanut allergies. We add 2-3 inches of vegetable oil to a large skillet or Dutch Oven pan and heat the oil to approximately 400 degrees or until fish filets begin sizzling when placed into the oil. Once the fish filet begins to float it's likely done and can be removed from the skillet. Don't over heat your cooking oil as it will burn and spoil the taste of the fish. If you don't have a thermometer, watch for a faint amount of smoke coming off the oil and should this occur turn down the burner a bit right away. As the fish come out of the cooker put them in a covered container to maintain warmth. Fried fish is our favorite way to cook fish and always a crowd pleaser!
Baked Crappie: (Can be utilized for fish tacos as well!)
At times we prefer to bake Crappie filets as they're very tasty when prepared in the oven. The benefits of baking fish are; lower caloric intake, lesser amount of prep and cooking time, and baking the fish vs. frying it lets one enjoy the unmasked taste of the fish if desired.
As noted above, clean and rinse the filets you want to bake and let them drip dry in a kitchen strainer. Locate a cookie sheet and coat it with a non-stick spray such as Pam or olive oil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the fish filets on the cookie sheet and sprinkle a small amount of Old Bay seasoning and any other spices that you prefer. Some add a sprinkle of garlic powderor smoked paprika. I don't like to a lot of spices on the filets as Crappie are a very mild flavored fish and I don't want to completely mask their natural taste. Cook the fish for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Though it adds a few calories, I like to baste a little butter on the filets when they're pulled out of the oven. Those who like citrus or acidic flavors might enjoy a bit of lemon juice on the filets or lemon pepper as well. Most people really enjoy baked Crappie and we hope you do too!
Parmesan Crusted Crappie
In a shallow container, lightly beat 2 or 3 eggs with a cup of milk. In a separate container combine bread crumbs, Kraft Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Lightly rinse the crappie filets in cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the filets in the amount you prefer. Dip each filet in the egg/milk mix, and then roll them in the bread crumb mixture. Gently press the bread crumbs onto the fish to make sure it sticks. Add olive oil or vegetable oil to a skilet, using only enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Heat the oil to medium to high heat. Add a touch of garlic to the oil if this agrees with your palate. Cook the breaded fish filets for 2-3 minutes each side, or until the bread crumbs turn golden brown and the filets are flaky. You may want to serve the Crappie filets with baby greens. If so, drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on the salad and fish to add a nice acidic note. There are many ways to enjoy Crappie on the table and this one is also a crowd pleaser!
We prefer to filet (remove all bones) Crappie and Catfish so the diner doesn't have to worry about pesky bones when eating fish. We find that a quart bag of Crappie or Catfish filets will typically be an adequate amount of fish for up to 4 hungry adults when served with fries, slaw, hushpuppies, or other side dishes of your choosing.
Fish Breading: There are many commercially available fish breading options and we typically use one of the following; Shore Lunch (brown box), Andy's Red (a little spicy), or Zatarans (cajun food taste). If preferred, you can also make your own fish breading by using 3 parts corn meal and 1 part flour, salt, pepper, and any other spices you typically enjoy.
Prepping the filets for cooking: We always wash the fish filets in a kitchen strainer and pick them over carefully to remove any remaining bones, fish skin, etc. After washing, we let the filets drip dry for a few minutes in the sink to minimize the risk of putting wet fish filets in hot cooking oil which can be somewhat dangerous. Also, a damp vs. wet filet will hold fish breading well. When ready to cook, add your fish breading to a 1 gallon zip lock bag so you can drop the filets into the bag, close it, and shake until the filets are coated with breading. I usually put only a few filets in the ziplock bag at a time to insure an even coating of breading. When using a zip lock bag to bread your fish you can simply put the bag in the freezer after each use and use the remainder when cooking fish again.
Cooking; Though some prefer to fry their fish in peanut oil, we typically utilize vegetable oil as some members of our crew have peanut allergies. We add 2-3 inches of vegetable oil to a large skillet or Dutch Oven pan and heat the oil to approximately 400 degrees or until fish filets begin sizzling when placed into the oil. Once the fish filet begins to float it's likely done and can be removed from the skillet. Don't over heat your cooking oil as it will burn and spoil the taste of the fish. If you don't have a thermometer, watch for a faint amount of smoke coming off the oil and should this occur turn down the burner a bit right away. As the fish come out of the cooker put them in a covered container to maintain warmth. Fried fish is our favorite way to cook fish and always a crowd pleaser!
Baked Crappie: (Can be utilized for fish tacos as well!)
At times we prefer to bake Crappie filets as they're very tasty when prepared in the oven. The benefits of baking fish are; lower caloric intake, lesser amount of prep and cooking time, and baking the fish vs. frying it lets one enjoy the unmasked taste of the fish if desired.
As noted above, clean and rinse the filets you want to bake and let them drip dry in a kitchen strainer. Locate a cookie sheet and coat it with a non-stick spray such as Pam or olive oil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the fish filets on the cookie sheet and sprinkle a small amount of Old Bay seasoning and any other spices that you prefer. Some add a sprinkle of garlic powderor smoked paprika. I don't like to a lot of spices on the filets as Crappie are a very mild flavored fish and I don't want to completely mask their natural taste. Cook the fish for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Though it adds a few calories, I like to baste a little butter on the filets when they're pulled out of the oven. Those who like citrus or acidic flavors might enjoy a bit of lemon juice on the filets or lemon pepper as well. Most people really enjoy baked Crappie and we hope you do too!
Parmesan Crusted Crappie
In a shallow container, lightly beat 2 or 3 eggs with a cup of milk. In a separate container combine bread crumbs, Kraft Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Lightly rinse the crappie filets in cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the filets in the amount you prefer. Dip each filet in the egg/milk mix, and then roll them in the bread crumb mixture. Gently press the bread crumbs onto the fish to make sure it sticks. Add olive oil or vegetable oil to a skilet, using only enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Heat the oil to medium to high heat. Add a touch of garlic to the oil if this agrees with your palate. Cook the breaded fish filets for 2-3 minutes each side, or until the bread crumbs turn golden brown and the filets are flaky. You may want to serve the Crappie filets with baby greens. If so, drizzle balsamic vinaigrette on the salad and fish to add a nice acidic note. There are many ways to enjoy Crappie on the table and this one is also a crowd pleaser!