Crappie????

[Deyymonayy]

Hey all, I just went fishing and limited out on some crappie, relatively small though average of 8 inches. Before I ask all of you for your favorite recipe, I'll pass on a super simple but absoulutey awesome trout recipe that I learned from my dad when I was 8. Take a fresh trout and gut and scale it. Remove the head. Then, take lemon slices, salt, pepper, garlic and butter and fill the cleaned trout. I usually stack a thin slice of butter on a slice of lemon and put as many of the stacks in the trout that will fit. Then generously season with salt pepper and garlic. Wrap in foil and seal the edges well. Place on the coals of a camp fire and wait until the foil puffs up. When puffed its done. Remove from coals and peel back the foil, the skin usually pulls away. Enjoy!!!! Now, if any of you have a good crappie recipe I would much appreciate it. Also, is crappie okay to use for ceviche? thanks

[Natural Lefty]

Mike, since we have met, you probably know by now that I am slightly eccentric as I guess you are too, but I love sushi, sashimi, ceviche, whatever, and sometimes use fish I catch for sashimi or ceviche. I can attest to the fact that any sunfish species including Crappie makes great ceviche or sashimi as long as it is fresh. I eat it that way quite a bit. I like to marinate them in Lime juice (Lemon juice as second choice) even when using them as sashimi, but certainly for ceviche. With ceviche, I add lots of tomato pieces, cucumber and maybe celery. I am allergic to the onion family so I don't add that, but most people would.

For cooking, personally I like filleting them even if they are little buggers, and coating them in corn meal mixed with seasoning salt, pepper, and my special ingredients, coriander powder and curry powder. Then I fry them for no more than one minute per side in any good vegetable oil, such as Olive or Grapeseed oil, Canola oil or just Corn oil. I guess butter would work too, but I use as little oil as possible to fry the fish in.

My wife likes to cook them more Chinese style, gutted and scaled with soy sauce, lemon and maybe ginger. (I love ginger.) They can be really good that way too, especially the big ones, but they tend to be bony with a few scales in the mix that way, too. I hope this helps. Here's to delicious Crappie, and good eating!

[smokehound]

I would avoid using crappie, or any freshwater fish for ceviche.

Just sounds dangerous to me..

[Natural Lefty]

I think it's okay to use freshwater fish for ceviche. The lime or lemon juice disinfects it, and I have had no problems using it. Why would freshwater fish be more dangerous than saltwater for ceviche, anyway?

[smokehound]

I think it's okay to use freshwater fish for ceviche. The lime or lemon juice disinfects it, and I have had no problems using it. Why would freshwater fish be more dangerous than saltwater for ceviche, anyway?there are some organisms that arent killed by lime juice.

Many freshwater diseases are caused by organisms that can survive extreme conditions.

[Natural Lefty]

Come to think of it, I have vaguely heard something about that. On the other hand, I have seen recipes for such traditional delicacies as raw pickled Pike, Trout gravlax and even fermented Trout, which are freshwater. I am not saying that Crappie ceviche is for everyone, but I haven't had any problems with it, or other raw freshwater fish, but one does need to be careful.

There is actually a strain of thought that having parasites in one's digestive system is good for a person, not that I am an advocate of that, but that idea is out there. The argument is that the parasites suppress the immune system somewhat which reduces allergies without making the person sick.

[gavin310]

I've heard that using any freshwater fish for sashimi is particularly risky and should be avoided. But, Natural Lefty is still alive, so??? ;)

[Natural Lefty]

Yes, I'm still alive and well, although things have been really busy around here. I am careful to eat clean fish and try marinate them in lime or lemon juice first. Last week, my wife chopped up a nice size, pink meated Brook Trout I caught during our trip to Mammoth, marinated the pieces in lime juice, added soy sauce and wasabi, then I ate it, just like lox or gravlax.

[Sparky70]

Heres a EZ one 4 U!

Filet those puppies
Next dip in flour, next egg wash, next Japanese Panko mix,
Throw em in the deep fryer until just barely brown,
Take-em out and CHOW DOWN

[Sublime-Steve]

how do u filet such a small fish?

[Sparky70]

Get a sharp filet knife, split em in half and shave off the meat next to the bones on each side...the filets are small, but a batch dipped in hot oil will make a believer out of you next time...make sure U cut the skin off the meat.... ENJOY!

[madwire3]

i use a kitchen knife i found in the knife drawer dunno where i got it, says diamond cut doubt its an expensive knife its not sharp has a weird edge to it kinda like suraded"bad spelling", i clean crappie like i do bluegill ... lay fish on its side belly towards you cut through skin and meat to the bones just behind the gill flap from top of fish down to fin area on side,, hold fish down and cut streight down to the bone on the tail then turn blade towards head and cut forward "sliding blade from top to bottom of fish as u move forward" .. try to cut so the blade runs along the spine and when u feel the ribs pull knife our and then finish your cutting above the ribs, peel back top flap of meat and fillet across ribs, tear side off and flip fish, repeat... then lay fillet skin side down hold the meatless spot with fingertips and press blade against skin and cut the meat off... after like 4 fish u will have it down i can fillet a bluegill or crappie in like 8-10 seconds with that knife, with a good fillet knife it takes me almost twice as long,,, catfish its the other way around gotta use the ol fillet knife for sure... zatarans crispy fish fry with garlic salt, pepper and a lil lemon pepper added is my fav...

anyways if my description of filleting the smaller fish sucked then look on youtube ive seen videos of the same tech on there, one guy filleting a 2.5 inch bluegill,, was funny

[BIGBASS MB]

Hey all, I just went fishing and limited out on some crappie, relatively small though average of 8 inches. Before I ask all of you for your favorite recipe, I'll pass on a super simple but absoulutey awesome trout recipe that I learned from my dad when I was 8. Take a fresh trout and gut and scale it. Remove the head. Then, take lemon slices, salt, pepper, garlic and butter and fill the cleaned trout. I usually stack a thin slice of butter on a slice of lemon and put as many of the stacks in the trout that will fit. Then generously season with salt pepper and garlic. Wrap in foil and seal the edges well. Place on the coals of a camp fire and wait until the foil puffs up. When puffed its done. Remove from coals and peel back the foil, the skin usually pulls away. Enjoy!!!! Now, if any of you have a good crappie recipe I would much appreciate it. Also, is crappie okay to use for ceviche? thanks

try bacon with your trout recipie...
MB

[lovefofish]

I cant read these threads any more it makes me too hungry.

[TUNAVIC]

Yes, I'm still alive and well, although things have been really busy around here. I am careful to eat clean fish and try marinate them in lime or lemon juice first. Last week, my wife chopped up a nice size, pink meated Brook Trout I caught during our trip to Mammoth, marinated the pieces in lime juice, added soy sauce and wasabi, then I ate it, just like lox or gravlax.
i
Is it still considered sashimi if its marinated? I ate some fresh Lasen trout sashimi style pink meat,soy sauce wasabi,it was great.

[Cartman]

Man, you should not eat raw freshwater fish. Sometimes they have lung and liver flukes, and that can kill you. Best to cook them first.

[keepemlo]

Good job on the limit!crappie aren't easy to come by ,parasites can be dangerous ,you said they were small
I would just scale ,gut ,take off head and fins,cornmeal and flour( seasoned to taste,in bag ,take out and dip in milk and egg mixture back into bag and then fried,gotta be careful eat slow with bread ummmmm good

[JoeCali]

Hey guys, althought microrganisms may be present in both fresh and saltwater fish there is a safe way to enjoy these fish in a raw application such as cheviche. Simply FREEZE your cleaned and gutted catch. This kills any microbes that may be present. Freeze for a day or two then thaw and you will still have very fresh fish to work with... and yea, lime/lemon juice does not kill germs.

Joe Cal

[PUDD MASTER BAITER]

ever heard of C&R!!! go to a good market, and buy some farm raised,safe fish.maybe those you fish caught ,will be there next time you go fishing...

[Thisfool]

ever heard of C&R!!! go to a good market, and buy some farm raised,safe fish.maybe those you fish caught ,will be there next time you go fishing...

that is a good policy and i respect your point of view

but for me at least, i have a great deal of pride in eating what i catch. it is a special meal when you have actually put in the time, effort and knowledge to catch the fish. and also there just crappie not like there bass. and that why the limit of crappie and pan fish is so high because they can reproduce so fast and grow really fast.

[Sparky70]

I have eaten many fresh water fish (Crappie,trout Catfish, Blue Gill) and I'm still ALIVE. :EyePop: :EyePop: :EyePop:

[PUDD MASTER BAITER]

hey thisfool.im sure we know each other, from the pudd.actually in grew up in east puente..no disrespect about c&r.i see people, show up at the pudd only in the spring.for 2 weeks .keeping giant crappies ,and .like 2lbs to 3lbs.when there easy to catch.then i dont see them fishing the pudd any more.after raping the best breeding stock in the lake.some of them hide there limits, or go home and ,come back..i believe the right in cooking some fish,even a bass ,if its recommended ,due to to many small ones.sorry for going off the thread.just fillet, and use what ever coating you wish to use for frying.i loved red ear, and crappies that way in my younger days......