Crappie and Panfish Recipes

Pan Fish Recipe

Ingredients

• 10-12 pan fish fillets
• 1 Cup dry bread crumbs
• ¾ Cup grated parmesan
• ¼ Cup chopped fresh parsley (can substitute dried)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon whole oregano (can substitute dried)
• ½ Cup melted butter

Clean, wash and pat your fish dry with a paper towel.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. If possible use the fresh spices as it gives the meal a bit more flavor.
Dredge your fish through the butter and then roll it liberally in the dry season mixture. Place your fillets on a greased cookie sheet. If there is remaining butter you can pour it over the fish or, if you're watching your calories, discard the extra.

Bake at 375-degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Make sure the fish is cooked thoroughly by checking to see if it is white and flakes easily.
Serve with fresh lemon slices or homemade tartar sauce. To make a simple tartar sauce combine the following.

• 1 Cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons lemon or white table vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For an added kick, add some capers or horseradish

To round out the meal, boil fresh red or Yukon gold potatoes and serve garden fresh peas or green beans. It's bound to be a meal that leaves you and your family anxiously awaiting that next fresh catch.

Deep Fried Bluegill or Crappie

Ingredients

• Fish fillets (1/2 inch thick)
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. corn flake crumbs
• 1 c. cracker crumbs

Put milk, egg, salt and pepper in blender, turn on low speed to combine. Slowly add flour and blend until batter is smooth. Pour batter into a bowl. Combine cracker and corn flake crumbs in a separate bowl. Rinse fillets in cold water, drain, pat dry with paper towels. Dip fillets in batter, coat with crumbs. Deep fry at 370-375 degrees until fillets are floating and golden brown (3 or 4 minutes). Do not over load cooker. Turn fillets a couple of times as they rise to the top. Remove to a rack to drain. Place on paper towels in a single layer.

Crispy Cajun Panfish

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pounds bass, bluegill or crappie fillets
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups mashed potato flakes
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients. Add fish, one piece at a time; shake to coat. Whisk eggs and water in a shallow dish. Place potato flakes in another shallow dish. Dip each fillet in egg mixture, then coat with potato flakes. Dip fish again in egg mixture and potato flakes. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Cook fish in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork, adding oil as needed.Yield:6-8 servings.

Baked Crappie

Ingredients

• 6 Crappies (approx. 3 lbs.)
• 1 stick butter
• Dash O’Lemon
• Fresh parsley (chopped)
• Cajun Spice

Coat the bottom of an oven proof pan with butter. Place Crappie fillets in pan, pour melted butter over fish and sprinkle each fillet with Cajun Spice and the chopped parsley.
Bake in a 400 degree oven until the fish is done, about 20 minutes. When you remove the fish from the oven, sprinkle it liberally with Dash O’Lemon. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Chipper Perch

Ingredients

• Perch Fillets
• 1 cup crushed potato chips
• 1/2 cup casear salad dressing
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dip fillets in dressing, place skin side down is a single layer in a greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking dish. Sprinkle crushed chips and cheese over fillets. Bake at 500 degrees 10-15 minutes.

Southern-Fried Panfish

Ingredients

• 24 ounces bass fillets, 4 ounces each
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3/4 cup yellow corn flour
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, for dredge
• 2 large eggs, for drench
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups vegetable shortening
• 2 teaspoons table salt, for marinade
• 1 quart water, for marinade and drench

Allow the fillets to marinade in salt water (use all the quart of water except for 4 tablespoons), using the table salt, for 3 hours in the refrigerator. After marination, pat the fillets very dry with paper towels. Pour one cup of the flour into a small paper bag and drop in the fillets, one at a time, and coat them lightly, shaking off any excess flour. Reserve this flour for later use. Lay the fillets out on a piece of wax paper and allow them to sit for 20 minutes. In a large skillet, heat the shortening until a few small drops of water crackle loudy in it. Using a fork or whisk, beat the eggs and the 4 tablespoons of water together in a medium-sized bowl for at least 20 seconds and set aside. This will be your "drench". Mix together the flour from the bag, all remaining flour (1 cup), the kosher salt, the corn meal and the white pepper on a platter. This will be your "dredge". Prepare one fillet at a time for frying by first dipping it in the egg "drench". Allow most of this to drip off and then dredge it in the flour mix on both sides. Shake very lightly to remove any notable hunks of flour and corn meal. Carefully lay each fillet into the very hot shortening. If it does not begin to fry immediately, your shortening is not hot enough! Do not crowd the fillets in the skillet -- do as many batches as necessary to accommodate this. Allow each fillet to fry until lightly browned on the first side and then carefully turn it to the other side. When each fillet is lightly browned on both sides (about 7-10 minutes total), the fish is done. It should be very white and flakey in the thickest part of the fillet. Serve with ketchup and/or tartar sauce as an entree, or, on sandwiches.