Walleye Pickerel Cheeks and Pikes Feet

Some of my favoured chef positions were the ones cooking for a resort. When I was younger, I wanted to cook in all the well-known Canadian resorts. I always liked fishing growing up and this was the best way I knew how to get to fish in all the talked about destinations. I cooked at many wilderness resorts and learned to do a lot of fireside alfresco shore lunches.

I love the flavour of walleye and perch bring to the table.  These next fresh water fish recipes are for shore lunches and cottage meals. Use any fish that are biting or buy a few filets to get the taste you been missing. Here are my favourite K/O Lodge recipes making a custom coating mix which I like best. Take the filets of walleye, pike, perch or bass and pour over lots of Tabasco or your favourite hot sauce and let sit for half an hour. Now take the filet and with a paper towel blot and dry the filet removing any liquid. The filets will be flavour marinated without the heat.

Season with the flour mixture below;

Pan Fried Walleye Dusting

1 cup cake flour. or [Packaged Golden Dipot for Shore Lunches]

1 cup corn meal

1 tbs of sea salt.

1 tbs fresh ground pepper.

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tbs celery salt

1 lb. of shortening

In a plastic or paper bag add flour, spices, the chosen fish filets and shake till blended and coated well.

In a Cast Iron Pan heat the shortening till hot enough to sizzle some flour.

When pan is hot add the filets flesh side down and fry for 3 minutes.

In a bowl whip up 5 eggs with salt and pepper to taste and a little of the hot sauce that you used for the marinade.

After frying the fish on the flesh side flip over and continue to cook. Remove excessive pan grease and add the egg mixture cooking until it forms a frittata around the filets of walleye.

Continue to cook until the egg is set.

When serving fold the egg under the filet to make a pedestal and sprinkle a little old bay seasonings to add a more robust flavour.

It’s up to you.

In Europe Pickerel and Pike are considered to be the “sole” of fresh water with a defined light taste to the palette.

The filets I like come from the cold Northern Lake Winnipeg Pickerel which has more character in its snowy white flesh.

Depending on where and when you catch pickerel the tastes and textures are different from river to lake.

I hope you and your fishing buddy’s get in some good fishing this spring.

Use the cheeks and fins for this recipe below.

Pickerel Cheeks and Pikes Feet.

1 cup cake flour.

1 tbs of sea salt.

1 tbs fresh ground Pepper.

1 tbs garlic powder.

1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.

3 tbs deep fry shortening.

1 cup sweet and sour BBQ Sauce or your favourite hot sauce.

The twin pectoral fins that hang under the belly are used for propping the fish up when on the bottom and used like small feet that they once were. Both Pike and Pickerel have them and using a sharp filet knife to remove the fin is simple. Just grab with your thumb and for finger and make an incision around the bone in a u pattern leaving lots of meat and belly fat connected to the fin! It almost resembles a chicken wing. Set aside until you have cut as many as are available.

In a plastic or paper bag add flour and spices and shake till blended. Add a few fins and cheeks and shake till coated in a large cast iron skillet add the shortening and heat till 350 degrees. Check by dropping a small amount of flour on the shortening. It should sizzle if hot enough. When shortening is hot place the dusted portions into the pan and cook for 3 minutes till golden brown.

Place in a bowl and add some BBQ sauce and flip/toss coating each piece.

Now along with your favourite beverage they will taste like you have just had one of the best snacks ever eaten at a camp fire.