Need help cooking crappie fillets

[bullheaded]

Tonite I decided to deep fry my five crappies 10 fillets I had found a recepie in the Mpls paper of Bob Lessards? It was a beer bater recepie. I did every thing it said to do but when I put five fillets in the basket and cooked till golden brown I removed the basket and tried to get them out but they were all stuck to the bottom. I had the basket in the oil till hot. Thinking maybe the next five would not stick I cooked and had the same results. Could someone tell me what I am doing wrong or do I have to go back to pan frying.

Thanks for any help

Bullheaded

[nitefisher]

the way i have always done it when deep frying is when you start to put the fish in don't drop them in fast hold them for a little bit maybe 30 seconds then let them go. and make sure your oil is to the right temp 375 to 400 degrees. and only drop one peiece in at a time so they don't stick together. usully by the time you coat the next peice of fish is long enough.

[Sandmannd]

I had a gastric bypass a year and a half ago and can't eat deep fried food. What I do is bread the fillets like you are going to deep fry them (shore lunch is my favorite). Then I put tin foil on a cookie sheet and spreed butter all over the foil. I lay the fillets on the buttered foil. While I'm getting all that going I melt about a 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave. Once the fish is all layed out on the sheet I drizzile melted butter over them (the last batch I made I drizzled olive oil over them and it was even better). Then I throw them into a 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Take them out and they are crispy like they were fried, but not greasy and a little healthier for you. Just though I would throw this out there.

[Lake Alice]

As stated above hold them with your tongs for a bit in the oil before letting them float. This will prevent sticking to the bottom of the basket. I always let cool on a wire baking rack when done, not a plate or paper. Much crispier, no sogginess.