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.

[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

[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

[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