Type: MAIN COURSE, OUTDOOR COOKING
Suitable for: Bluegills, Crappies, White Bass, small Croakers, small Rainbow Trout
What’s a “pan-fish”? Not really a single family. Pan-fish have in common that they are fresh-water, generally small in size, the sporty members of the lake- and stream-crowd, and often cooked simply within minutes of being caught.
To come close to the fresh-caught experience (while skipping the less appealing fish-cleaning experience), order your pan-fish “head off and split.”
Indoor cooking is fine, but pan-fish taste great off the grill—you may want to reserve an old, metal-handled skillet as your “fish-nic” pan.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 ½ – 2 lb. pan-fish
1 package Fish Fry Batter
Follow directions on the package and enjoy!
There are many, many recipes for perfect fried pan-fish; every fisherman has his favorite. Here are many ways you can vary your basic method—soon, you too will have a “best” way.
SPICES AND HERBS TO ADD TO FISH FRY:
½ tsp. of: garlic powder, chili powder, Cajun spice-mix, oregano, basil, lemon-pepper, curry powder.
OILS ADD FLAVOR:
Olive oil, peanut oil, oils seasoned with basil, lemon, and other herbs.
Try a drop or two of chili oil for heat. Drops of sesame oil, added after cooking.
SUBSTITUTES FOR FISH FRY:
Unlike Fish Fry, these will need a liquid to hold them on the fish. Try egg with a little milk, plain milk, or yogurt.
Crumbs: saltine or other crackers, crushed; plain or seasoned dry packaged crumbs; Japanese “panko” breadcrumbs; flour or cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper.
