I've always been a saltwater guy (from Florida) and I'm new to crappie, but I gotta say that crappie is the best freshwater fish I've had outside of trout.
Its so mild that I thought I'd cook it the same way I that I like grouper or dolphin. and it worked- so here's how I did it.
Make a salsa first and then refrigerate it:
red pepper
onion
mango and/or papaya
cilantro
or- fresh tomato, onion, green pepper, jalepeno, cilantro, lime...
all chopped and mix in a bowl with lime/lemon juice and a dash of cayenne or white pepper- whatever to give it a kick. Some tobasco would work too, I bet.
If the fish has been frozen, prep fillets by rinsing in saltwater with lemon juice then draining
Coat filets with salt and pepper, garlic powder or onion powder- more cayenne?
Throw a sautee pan (not non-stick) on high heat till its smoking, add a small amount of oil, put a few fillets in the pan for about 15-20 seconds, flip and remove from the heat. This sears the fish. Then add a bit of wine or beer and butter to finish cooking, plate it, then add the salsa on top.
Its not heavy like frying, but its got lotsa flavor without overwhelming the mild flavor of the crappie. Serve with salad and cold beer.
