Thread: What brand of cooking oil and seasoning for dem sweet crappie fillets?

I have tried all kinds of breading and generally fall back on the House Autry. I like the fine consistency. I always us peanut oil, because it's hard to keep any other oil at 350 degrees without burning it and I can filter it and use it several times. I have also started putting a little bit of jalapeno pepper in the hushpuppies and gouda cheese in the grits. The key to the whole meal though is my homemade tarter sauce. I'm making my self hungry just thinking about it.

If you want to try something a little different with them, take a few of the larger fillets powder them in flour that's seasoned to taste with salt/pepper/garlic powder. In a bowl mix a couple of eggs with a little water and beat it up good. Then in another bowl mix Panko bread crumbs with a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese, some fresh chopped oregano and basil. Use dried herbs if you can't get fresh. Put about a 1/4 inch of oil in a frying pan and get it to about 300 degrees. Dip the fillets in the egg wash, coat with the breadcrumbs and lay them in the pan. When they get nice and golden brown, turn them and let them brown on the other side. Take them out and drain on paper towels. There will be a crunchy crust on the fish and a tangy flavor that will entice even those who don't like fish. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can also put them in the oven and bake them just as they are. Melt a little butter in a bowl, add some white wine, chopped green onion and chopped parsley and spoon this over the browning fillets a couple of minutes before removing them from the oven. I think I might have to cook some fish tonight.

Spiderman, we must have been typing at the same time and thinking near the same lines.

Wow, keep them coming, got me some different ways to try now, ya'll making me hungry.

Demick I know a certain dog that can decipher your homemade tarter sauce

Homemade lard, homemade corn meal, cooked in a wash pot with corncobs for fire fuel.

Den U got summin.

This was my first taste of fried fish cooked by my Grand Ma.

Peanut oil
Zatarains Fish fry
Old Bay seasoning

Fried in a cast iron dutch oven.

I like to marinate mine first in a cup of butter milk,cup of beer and a couple of eggs, let em lay in there about 5 minutes before breaking them, taste really good.

Two more things I learned about fish fillets: Most of you may already know this, but some new folks might not.

1. a Foodsaver or other similar vacuum sealer is the best $120 you will ever spend. Lay the fillets in a single row 10 or 15 to the pack, depending on size and leave a couple of inches of the bag free. Put about 1" wide of folded paper towel across the mouth on the inside of the bag and liquid won't get in your sealer. Lay the bags flat on top of each other in the freezer before they are frozen and they will stack neatly. Once they are frozen, you can stand them on end and stack them in your freezer like books on a shelf. I like to put about 15 pieces of small fillets in a bag like that and you can drop them in some warm water and they will thaw out if just a few minutes and you are ready for the grease.

2. This is a simple trick, but if you have a sealed bag of fillets from last season, put them in a bowl of water with a cup of lemon juice for about an hour before cooking and they will taste considerably fresher and have a hint of lemon.