11-27-2002, 11:51 AM
Whitefish are closely related to the salmonids (trout). Their skeletal structure is almost identical. That means you have to deal with the line of hairlike flesh bones that extend up through the meat from the spine...for about half the upper length of the body.
To remove this line of bones, lay the fillet skin side down and run your finger along the middle of the flesh area. You will feel the tips of the little bones and can then see them. With a sharp knife, cut two parellel cuts, one on either side of the bones and lift out the strip.
Whitefish live in cold clean water and have largely the same diet as trout. They taste good, but their flesh is often not quite as firm as a well-fed trout. I cut the fillets into "fingers", coat them in a mix of cornmeal and flour (or bisquick)...with seasoning...and deep fry. They hold together better with a light coating on them.
Another good way to fix them is oven broiling. Lay the fillets on a sheet of foil, in a cookie tray. Squirt on a little lemon juice and season with garlic salt and seasoned pepper. A little Italian Seasoning, cilantro or thyme are possible flavorful options. Dot the fillets generously with butter and put about a foot away from the broiler coils for about six to eight minutes...depending on how thick the fillets are. When there is a little browning of the butter and the fillets flake easily, use a spatula to lift them onto the plates.
As far as suckers go, they are ugly but are a fine food fish. Like most members of the minnow family, they do have a lot of bones. But, the flesh is firm, white and flaky. They were a staple of the early pioneers, who pitchforked them by the thousands from Wasatch streams when they swam upstream for their spring spawning runs.
For anyone who knows how to pressure cook fish, suckers are a good candidate. Pressure cooking softens the bones and they can be made into fish croquettes or fish patties. They are also good pickled. Again, the vinegar dissolves the bones and with the right recipe, you can't tell them from expensive pickled herring.
For anyone who is interested, I have a pretty sizeable collection of original fish recipes. Be glad to share if you are looking for something special...for a certain species or a specific kind of cooking.
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To remove this line of bones, lay the fillet skin side down and run your finger along the middle of the flesh area. You will feel the tips of the little bones and can then see them. With a sharp knife, cut two parellel cuts, one on either side of the bones and lift out the strip.
Whitefish live in cold clean water and have largely the same diet as trout. They taste good, but their flesh is often not quite as firm as a well-fed trout. I cut the fillets into "fingers", coat them in a mix of cornmeal and flour (or bisquick)...with seasoning...and deep fry. They hold together better with a light coating on them.
Another good way to fix them is oven broiling. Lay the fillets on a sheet of foil, in a cookie tray. Squirt on a little lemon juice and season with garlic salt and seasoned pepper. A little Italian Seasoning, cilantro or thyme are possible flavorful options. Dot the fillets generously with butter and put about a foot away from the broiler coils for about six to eight minutes...depending on how thick the fillets are. When there is a little browning of the butter and the fillets flake easily, use a spatula to lift them onto the plates.
As far as suckers go, they are ugly but are a fine food fish. Like most members of the minnow family, they do have a lot of bones. But, the flesh is firm, white and flaky. They were a staple of the early pioneers, who pitchforked them by the thousands from Wasatch streams when they swam upstream for their spring spawning runs.
For anyone who knows how to pressure cook fish, suckers are a good candidate. Pressure cooking softens the bones and they can be made into fish croquettes or fish patties. They are also good pickled. Again, the vinegar dissolves the bones and with the right recipe, you can't tell them from expensive pickled herring.
For anyone who is interested, I have a pretty sizeable collection of original fish recipes. Be glad to share if you are looking for something special...for a certain species or a specific kind of cooking.
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