Do you love big bluegill?

Better Eating Size than the Biggun' Yesterday....

I like this size to fillet.............

Rating:

View Full Size

Comment

Comment by Leo Nguyen on September 24, 2013 at 3:45pm: Allen got the right idea, which also include carps and cats. However, cats, filet, batter dipped/breaded, oil bath/baked, based on the seasoning and the side dishes.

Comment by Allen Morgan on September 24, 2013 at 4:52am: If you're going to grill fish, you need to have fish that have the texture to hold up. Crappie won't do. Salmon, Tuna, Catfish, Grouper, Shark, etc., all work well on the grill.

I've also heard of "Grilled on the Half Shell" Redfish. Basically, cut the fillet from the fish, leaving the skin and scales. Build a two-level fire in your grill, with a hot side and a not-so-hot side. Once the grid is hot, place the fillet on the grill, flish-side-down, just long enough to "mark" the flesh. Rotate the fish, and "mark" it again to give the flesh side (presentation side) a nice cross-hatched pattern. Then, flip the fillet over so the skin/scales are down, and place it on the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and cook until done.

I've never done this, so I have no idea how long it takes. I think the seasoning is just salt and pepper.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on September 24, 2013 at 3:08am: I have to confess I agree with you Leo. it's one of the reasons I like gardening and fishing
both provide an opportunity to harvest pure food.
Allison Schmitt, though, I don't really like grilled fish. it may be more naturait's not reallyl to eat it that way, but but its not really my thing.

How do you prefer to eat your cat fish?

Comment by Leo Nguyen on September 23, 2013 at 5:57pm: It's not that our tastes have changed. It's just that our taste buds have overloaded with everything, and unable to truly taste the natural foods we used to foraged, farmed, and cooked at home. We depend on the corporate systems to dictate what is good, and shoved the same things down our throats and an overloading level of refined spices, herbs, and chemicals. We favored the similar ingredients, just just at a much more intense refined loads that our bodies can't seem to purge quick enough to enjoy the real wholesome goodness of real moderated cooking.

Comment by Tony Livingston on September 23, 2013 at 5:50pm: My grandmother would can carp and suckers, and use em' in fish cakes. Delicious.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on September 23, 2013 at 5:46pm: Ive heard there are ways to "de-bone" them - never tried it. Ive heard carp fritters are good, too. Poach the fish, remove the meat and use it to make "fish cakes."

You probably know carp were imported during President Grants administration as a food fish, to help feed a rapidly growing population. We had depleted our native stocks and they needed something that could fill in. Many fish were considered, and the common carp won out.

Today, we can realize they were successful in their attempts - carp are everywhere. But our tastes have changed, and we no longer wish to eat the darned things!

Comment by Leo Nguyen on September 23, 2013 at 5:28pm: Carp is an interesting species to eat. Bones galore. You can try to filet them like catfish, and reserve yourself the woes of shifting through the bones, OR, if you're into "eating all that you've caught", either cook it in soup (Thai style spicy soup base), coconut curry based (traditional Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai), or UK style of just plain smoking them until the bones become gelatin. I had them all. I rather not deal with the bones when I have young children. So, turn them into fish filets like cats. Taste awesome when you do a wine battered and baked baked, side with wild rice and seasoned stir fried veggies.

Comment by David, aka, "McScruff" on September 23, 2013 at 5:17pm: I find catfish the best eating, although I am aware of their tendency to store toxins. Regardless, I love them - I really do - and prefer to catch them whenever possible.

I know that is sacrilege here, but well,,, there it is.

How is carp to eat? Ive caught them years ago, but never to consume.

Comment by Leo Nguyen on September 23, 2013 at 8:35am: David, indeed I do. All species of kitties. Of course, I have a limit on the size that I will keep. Anything more than 5 lbs, I get a bit weary in keeping them for dinner. I prefer the younger 1 to 5lbs. It may not be the best meat, but the safest to consume. Cat is known to have the highest level of stored toxins and pollutants in their body mass-to-accumulated toxins for the water species. Much more so than carp. If you haven't noticed from my statement, I also target carps as food as well.