Cheryl Wixson's Kitchen

Norway Lake Fried Bass with Herbs

February 24, 2010 on 8:56 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

The best part of ice fishing is the fish! The crew spent the week-end tending flags and setting bait. One pickerel went to the the eagle, many went back into the hole. This bass my husband caught was cleaned and put on ice for us to enjoy.

To clean a fish: Lay newspapers on a counter or flat surface. Cut a gash in the underside of the fish with a sharp knife or shears, slitting from the head to the anal opening. Cut the entrails at the throad where attached and remove them. Rinse under running water to remove any clotted blood clinging to the backbone. Wipe out the inside with a paper towel.

To skin a fish: Cut off a narrow strip of skin along the entire length of the backbone. Loosen the skin on one side from the bony part of the gills. If the flesh is quite firm, the skin will peel of easily. A softer fleshed-fish, you may have to work slowly and carefully, pushing the skin away from the fish with the knife. Turn the fish over and skin the other side.

To filet or bone the fish: Beginning at the tail, run a long, sharp knife (a deboning knife is the best) under the flesh close to the backbone. Follow the bone for its entire length, making as clean a cut as possible. Cut away the flesh, laying the knife flat, and lift it off in one piece, if possible. Turn the fish over and repeat the process. Pick out any small bones.

Norway Lake Fried Bass with Herbs

Canola oil for frying
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried herbs (we used Stonewall Kitchen’s Seafood & Veggie Spice Rub)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds white fish filets cut into small pieces

Heat some oil in a wok or large fry-pan over medium heat until about 350 to 375 degrees.

Mix the all purpose flour and the herbs in a plastic bag. Add the fish to the flour mixture and shake it to coat each piece evenly. Set the dredged pieces aside.

Working in batches, fry the fish until golden crisp, turning, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve on a heated platter with tartar sauce.

Rabbit Hill Tartar Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Rabbit hill relish, drained
3 tablespoons Rabbit Hill capers, drained

Combine in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until combined. Taste and correct seasonings. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Tartar Sauce is really just a mixture of mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish and capers. We make our own relish and can it for the long winter. Capers are berries. They add a salty, not-so-sweet depth to the sauce. Available in the supermarket, I prefer to make my own. All summer, I harvest the seeds from my nasturiums and pickle them in a jar…specifically to make Rabbit Hill Tartar Sauce. More about this in the summer!