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I'm a Newbie here so please cut me some slack.
I am old enough to remember filleting as something odd.
Just chew carefully to avoid getting a bone stuck in your throat.
My question is - is there a difference in flavor?
I'll deal with the bones if it tastes better.
No.
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I prefer filleted fish.....easier to process, easier to cook, easier to eat, and tastes just as good
Fillets all the way.
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I just couldn't let this one go. Chicken, do you like it on the bone better? If you can't tell the difference then fish won't be any different. However, if your like me and the "bone" makes it better, then have at it. Myself, and a pride thing, I usually won't keep crappie under 10". Having said this, there are some years that those little guys are your only choice. So, those 8"-10" fish, yes I'll scale them and there's that bone-in flavor after cooking I can't resist, along with the gills. I prefer them on the bone, it takes a lot longer cleaning wise for me, but well worth it.
X2. I like mine cooked whole. If I am pan frying and they are too thick, then I will fillet one side. To my notion, it does taste better closer to the bone.
I don't think there's any difference between the taste of a filet or "whole" Crappie ... as far as the taste of the "meat" is concerned. BUT, there is an added "sweet/nutty" taste that comes from the skin. (that is IF you don't add spices to whatever you coat the fish with)
And fresh caught/cleaned/cooked tastes the best !!
... cp :cool:
I could never tell the difference. Fillets are much safer when you have young children eating. I prefer fillets myself when givin a choice. Now if you want to talk steak..lol Give me a Porterhouse or a T-bone over a rib eye or ny strip anytime. The bone in a thick cut steak will always make the steak more juicier. Cowboy Rib Eyes with bone in are Awesome. Can I tell the difference between gas and Charcoal? You better believe it.
Fish stay moister with skin and bones.
Can't comment on the taste comparison but for what its worth, I fillet all my panfish. I'm very careful to go over the fillets carefully to make sure there's no bones. This way I don't have to worry about bones with a mouthful of half chewed fried fish. My dad claims that fish with the skin on taste muddy to him but he sure puts the boneless, skinless fillets away at our table!
Have to agree with Crappiepappy. Ideally my choice would be to scale then fillet, however it's just much more convenient (quicker) to take skin and scales off while filleting. Sometimes, in cooler weather, I'll scale a few just for the added flavor.
The skin is the best part of fried chicken :cheers2
I agree with everyones opinion, I'll eat crappie anyway you fix it and not complain ever. Oh,...........can I get you a Bud?:cheers2
Fillet every dang fish, period. I've been told I'm a fast fish cleaner, trying to scale/gut... ugh! No way. I do like me a bluegill meal from whole fish some times, but most of the time I even fillet them little turds... that's my favorite meat, bluegill fillets. Teeny tiny finger sized morsels of ummm uummm goood.
I only keep enough for a meal when I'm out fishing. I always scale and filet all fish unless they have really tough and thick skin...then i'll skin them.
I prefer to fillet my fish just cause it is faster. Plus my wife would quit eating fish if she ever found a bone in my fillets.
I can't tell the difference and prefer fillets, but my wife prefers with the bones. I am going to try gutting and filleting, but leaving some meat on the bone. I hate frying thick fish whole, so I also want to try filleting just one side. More work, but I want to keep the boss happy so she doesn't figure out how much cheaper it is to buy fish from the market. Lol
it really depends on the size for me, if I get some nice crappie then I'm going to fillet them, if I get a few dinks 8-10 inches or so, I'm going to just scale and gut them and throw them on the grill or in the oven in some foil with some onion and lemon slices in each with a little bit of butter...mmmm
IMO the taste is like night and day. The "crispies" from the tail and edges of the fins...the extra fried up batter on all the edges...man! It's so much better on the bone to me. Now, that being said...I fillet 99% of all the fish we eat simply because it's much less trouble. Ocassionally I'll keep a half dozen 9" fish to clean and eat off the bone but it's much easier to catch a hand full of 12" fish, fillet 'em, and cook for my family. Well, that's my 2 cents worth.:rolleyes::)
Welcome to the boards from GEORGIA.
I fillet most of mine.But love to eat them any way i can including in a red gravy..........I frequent a couple fish camps where its frowned on big time to filet a white perch,,,,so when in rome with some of the local ol timers ,I scrape and fry..........I find them heavenly eating any way i can eat them:biggrin
Quote:
Originally Posted by gabowman
I'll be over in about 14hrs or so, you just popped my gasket and now I'm hungry.
best ofboth worlds......scale then fillet and dont cut meat off skin will get you boneless fillets and flavor.of kin.
icejohn
Most of my relatives don't like the bones or the taste of fish skin; so we fillet and carefully enough so that my mother doesn't find a bone or she will assign someone to do all that work by themself.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiepappy
But whatever the preference that last statement is the most important.
"And fresh caught/cleaned/cooked tastes the best !!" Definitely!
If I have some that are 12", i'll save them whole for special occasions. Normally I filet them! As far as taste, I think whole is tastier......
I don't wrestle with food at the table. Bones in fish are unacceptable in my opinion. I fillet all fish. It doesn't matter what kind. I even take the skin off the salmon fillets from the store. I don't like the extra taste it imparts into the fish, some folks do.
I like catfish quite a bit. When I fillet a catfish I leave a thin layer of meat (red meat) still attached to the skin. I trim out the noticeable fat as well. By being selective it reduces the contaminant level that resides in the fat layer of any fish not just catfish. When you eat fish that are gutted and scaled then you end up eating that fatty layer and increased your contaminant intake from that fish. Just something to keep in mind.
Anyway, everybody has their own personal preferences on what is good and what is not. Cook to your family's likes. If you don't know how to fillet fish then Google it on YouTube and you can watch several good videos. It is a skill worth learning.
Love those fillets even on the smaller fish. Hate picking bones out. Did that enough as a kid.
Fillet everything.
i fillet 99% of crappie, like someone else has said if you want the skin taste, scale first then fillet. Most of the crappie that we are allowed to keep in MS are much to big to fry whole (12" minumum on the corp lakes). That being said whole bream are the only way to go, gotta have my "fix" of that 2-3 times a year. I luv those crispy tails and fins!
Feeshrman. Happy Thanksgiving and hope all is well! 100% fillets and skinned here. I like the crispy tails tooo. So, I cut them off and fry them as well.
BG tail and fins.... there's a treat.
I fillet all fish period . When time allows i will scale and fillet leaving the skin on .
I like them both ways and can tell a difference. Really like the crispy tails and fins. And if they are cooked right and you know how to pick'm, you can pull an entire boneless fillet off of a whole fried fish. That said, sometimes I fillet, and sometimes I leave them whole. Fillets are a lot easier to put away and cook.
Side note: I bought this EZ-ScaleR - Fishing Lure | Mister Twister and it fits my rapala. Takes a little to get used too, but does a good job. Just be careful.
Edited to add: Good idea someone mentioned about scaling and then filleting. I might have to try that.
That is a good idea,I have never thought about cutting off the tails and fins to fry. That's the main thing I like about eating whole crappies is eating them fins and tails like tater chips.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spaceman
Filleted fish is the way to go. I think same taste just the ability to eat more
Absolutely! I will fillet a crappie when I have a big mess of them and the large ones also, but as crappiedoc mentioned, on the bone flavor, just can't beat it!Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiedoc
I'm a smoker = I can tell it's fish, what kind ? = don't know, don't care .....
I love fish, don't mind the bones, "BUT", the wife don't want no bones....
I like the crispy fins, but, ain't had none since I was a kid, keep plannin on
fryin some up, but, always forget .........................
My wife won't eat fish unless filleted and skinned. either kind works for me.
The women in the family like the fillets. Myself and most of the guys enjoy the tails too much to fillet all of them.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, SCALE THEN FILLET . LEAVE THE SKIN AND TAILS ON .:cheers2
Quote:
Originally Posted by crappiepappy
I agree! You can take your limit of fish and cook half at the lake and they will taste better than the half you cook at home even if you fry them outside. Go Figure!:cheers2
Well,when i camp with friends on the lake, there is nothing better than a whole crappie bone-in with a nice golden crust.
Now when cooking for my wife and myself, and due to the fact that she doesnt like bones in her fish, i fillet them. To me there is no difference in taste. The crappie meat will taste the same, its the secret batter that you make, that truely brings out the quality of a good meal.