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Hi All,
I have been busy so not much fishing this year, however I was camping with the scout troop this weekend and 2 of the boys were working on the Fishing Merit Badge. They both caught some BG so we kept a couple for them to fillet and cook. I know there are a bunch of folks who love frying up some gills, so I was curious what your preferred methods of dispatching and filleting them are?
Thanks,
Mike
As long as you won't report me to PETA, I admit that on the rare occasions when I keep a few fish to eat, I keep them alive as long as possible; usually all the way to the kitchen sink. I dispatch them by making a quick cut to the spine, right behind the head. I use a pair of poultry scissors for the task as they are made for "kitchen" work and are strong enough to snip through the spine in one quick clip. I've tried thumping them on the top of the head with the back edge of the knife, but I think this more stuns them than outright "dispatching". I'll be interested hearing other peoples methods as I'm always open to learning new ideas.
Jim Smith
I know many people who basically want the fish "kicking" when they remove the filet, which usually dispatches the fish. The filet is removed by running a sharp knife or electric knife along the spine flipping it over before cutting through the skin at the end and then removing the skin in a similar matter. The rib bones are cut around by some people and other cut them out as the last act.
Here's a pretty good video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJXYBR6sVzk There are a couple of things I don't recommend, first ice fishing, second filetting fish in the kitchen. But you're not married to my wife, yours may not mind.
Of all the edible fish you may catch, bluegill and crappie run neck and neck for ability to repopulate a water body. Guilt should not show up when you want to eat some. The easiest way to dispatch them is to keep them out of the water, i.e. toss them in the ice chest or creel. I wouldn't suggest keeping them on a stringer in the water, if there are any snakes in the waterbody you may have an unwelcome visitor.
Crappie should be large enough to filet. Bluegill are best scaled, floured and fried. After scaling, head bluegill right behind the gills) and gut them, dredge in flour, egg bath and flour again or corn meal (seasoned and spiced to taste and fry till golden brown. The fins and tail are considered delicacies. There are small bones to watch out for.
Thanks for the replies guys, especially the link to the video. Definitely a "why didn't I think of that" moment. Take care.
Although crappie are my favorite fish for eating, I have lots of friends who would put down a crappie filet for a bluegill. Growing up in a rural area of the south where most folks were fishing for food as well as fun very small fish were kept. Bream (sunnies in your neck of the woods) which includes bluegills had the head and innards removed, were scaled and fried crispy. I would never get in a argument with a "cajun" about cooking, but cornmeal, salt and pepper were the common addition to the fish. The egg bath holds those in place.
I fillet mine most of the time, but if I am lazy, or in a hurry, I just remove the fillet from the skin and leave the ribs in. It takes less than a minute per fish, and you can just remove the rib bones as you eat. And the tail is the best part of the whole fish.
The best way to fillet bluegills, and crappie, is after they have been fried. The procedure is as follows:
First, scale the fish. Next, with a very sharp knife, make a single diagonal cut from behind the head to just behind the vent, and remove the head. The entrails will come out in one mass with the head coming off (the fish has just been 'dispatched'). Both the pectoral and the pelvic fins have also been removed in this process, leaving the dorsal, anal and tail fins on. Batter and deep fry.
While the fish is still warm, grasp, in no particular order, the dorsal fin at the rear and pull forward, and do the same for the anal fin. This will remove both the fins and the internal skeletal bones that support these fins. Next, grasp it at the head end and at the base of the tail fin. Using both hands, gently push the two ends towards one another and impart a slight twist. This will cause the two fillets to come off the bones, small ribs and all, leaving you with two boneless fillets ready to eat, and a 'comic-strip-cat cleaned' skeleton.
I learned this technique back in the early fifties from a retired Texas Game Warden, and it works every time.
Sage's procedure reminded me of something I read years ago, but have never tried, where the cleaned fish is dropped for exactly one minute into a pot of boiling water. The filets can reportedly be removed with a table knife.
Some of the best (friendly) arguments my Dad and I had when I was growing up were about which was better eating - bream of bass. He swore by bream and I swore by bass.
He showed me a neat trick that I still use today. Head and scale the fish. Then using a sharp knife, make a cut on either side of the dorsal fin down to the rib cage. Use a pair of catfish skinning pliers to pull the dorsal fin out of the fish.
Batter ( yellow cornmeal, salt, cheyenne pepper, and occasionally a dip in yellow French's mustard rather than an egg batter - and yes, I am from S. Louisiana) and fry the fish. The halves will splay open from the back bone so that the person eating the fish only has to lift the filet off of the back bone and rib cage. The tail stays intact to be enjoyed.
Adrian
Alee, if you're going to come up with advice like that, you're going to have to give us your hushpuppy recipe too.
Uncle Jesse,
Is Rio Vista still open in the Marietta/Hotlanta area? Do they still serve the best hush puppies in the world?
Ed
I think they are out of business, that is around 35 - 40 miles from me. Finding good catfish and hushpuppies is very hard in the vicinity of the Watermelon 500.
I did a Google check, the restaurant relocated to Conley and Jackson, both SW of Atlanta and further away from me.
Uncle Jesse - You know what Tom Cruise said in the movie Top Gun about telling secrets - :):):)
Actually, my recipe for hush puppies came from an old man who lived on Toledo Bend Lake. Before he died, he passed the recipe along to my Dad back in about 1972, who in turn passed it along to me. I will tell you this - nobody has ever passed them up after tasting one.
Adrian:
If you fry first, all you need to remove both the dorsal and anal fins are your hands---no cutting, no pliers involved.
Hi All,
I dispatch them using a wooden rod and a sharp rap on the top of the head. It is quick and effective.
Regards,
Gandolf
What Alee said but I take it one step further and using large kitchen sheers, go ahead and cut the fillets/rib bones off the spine. Makes for a thinner fillet and the rib bones are easy to pick out once cooked.