Cooking walleye coated with Shore Lunch in a pan

[tacklejunkie]

For years I've used a fry daddy. I don't want to haul one anymore up to LOTW but I've never used the oil in a fry pan on the stovetop method. Any tips on cooking this way would be helpful

[Greybeard53]

Not that different really. Just make sure you use enough oil so the fish doesn't sit on the bottom. It should float when dropped in the oil. And limit the number of fillets in the pan, so the edges don't touch each other and stick together. Be ready to flip the fillets as soon as the bottom turns golden brown.

If you're doing a large quantity, you may need to change the oil after a couple batches or it will turn brown from the extra coating.

Never salt the fish while its in the oil.

[CJH]

Also, if you have to do several batches, put the already cooked ones in the oven at low temp (150-200) on a broiler pan. They will stay hot and crispy this way, while also allowing excess oil to drip off.

[Moose]

Might want to bring some kind of thermometer to monitor your oil temp. The Fry Daddy does this for you a pan can smoke the oil pretty fast leaving you the Blackened variety of fillets.

[OnAFly]

We just coated the fillets lightly, threw a bit of butter in the pan and when melted threw in the fillets. Worked good for us in Canada.

Also, Tony's Creole seasoning was awesome on them.

[paceman]

Do it all the time, works pretty well. Like others said make sure you have enough io in the pan and make sure it is good and hot. Be careful as it will splatter a bit if you plop the fish in.

[LABS4ME]

I do oil with a good dollop of butter in it to help really golden up the breading...

I never use a deep fryer and always pan fry mine... works awesome! I soak fillets in milk for 10 minutes.. coat evenly with breading and pan fry.

Good Luck!

Ken

[BLACKJACK]

So what does the milk do? I've read about dipping fillets in milk before breading, I've tried it, never noticed any difference between using milk and just doing a wet soaked in water fillet.

[Crow Hunter]

The milk likely is just to help the breading stick, or if soaked for a while, to draw any blood out of the filet. I dip my filets in beer prior to breading instead of milk. Just my opinion, but I would throw that shore lunch stuff away and get some McCormick's cajun. Best breading I have ever found.

[ozzie]

I always pan fry and all I do is put enough oil to cover half the fish. As for getting the fillets ready I always put them in egg/beer mix and then into whatever coating I am using...and my favorite breading for walleyes is saltine crackers crushed to different levels!

[Pherris]

Like others have said just have enough oil and make sure it's hot enough. It cools fast when you start adding the fish. We had some sunnies last night and did 1/2 shore lunch and half ground up buttery garlic ritz crackers. Might be my new favorite.

Good eating!

[Selmer]

The reason for soaking the fillets in milk has nothing to do with the breading, but rather the taste. As soon as the fish is killed and filleted, the bacteria on the surface break down the compound trimethylamine oxide into stinky trimethylamine, which we recognize as "fishy" smell or taste. The casein (a type of protein found in mammalian milk) binds to the stinky trimethylamine and when you pour off the milk - voila! - no more stinky fish. So for those of us who cook the fish fresh of freeze it fresh and fry after thawing and it just smells like fresh fish, the milk step is absolutely unnecessary.

[Jim Uran]

So many ways to do it! I minimize the oil, just enough so it doesn't stick. Lightly coat in your favorite breading mixture and flop them in the pan. A good cornmeal based breading is my favorite. Medium high temp and cook them quick, black pepper and salt to taste. Yummmm I'm getting hungry.

[Cicada]

Lately, I've gotten into using instant potato flakes. Dip them in egg, then coat. If you're doing this at the lake, you can mix in salt, pepper and either garlic powder or Italian seasoning. When at home I tend to sprinkle those on after. The seasoning tends to burn off in the pan and I can get by with less. Really nice crunchy coating.

[tacklejunkie]

Thanks all for the tips. The walleyes turned out. The tip about putting the cooked fillets in a broiler pan in the oven on low heat was spot on.

[CJH]

No problem, glad it worked!!

CJH

[pikestabber]

As soon as the fish is killed and filleted, the bacteria on the surface break down the compound trimethylamine oxide into stinky trimethylamine, which we recognize as "fishy" smell or taste. The casein (a type of protein found in mammalian milk) binds to the stinky trimethylamine and when you pour off the milk - voila! - no more stinky fish.

I was going to say this EXACT same thing, but I cannot pronounce half the words in your post.

[leechlake]

one extra tip. When you take the fish out of the pan lay on a cookie cooling rack. The fish stays crisp and doesn't get soggy. I learned this one last Winter and now do it every time.

[Leaky]

Thats a great tip!! I usually just lay them on paper towel and then put another one on top to pull out the grease, but they do tend to get a tad soggy. Won't be doing that anymore. As Emril always said, re-season with a little salt and pepper as soon as they come out of the pan.