04-13-2016, 02:11 PM
[#0000FF]I have fished a lot of waters...for a lot of species. Not unusual to find some species from some waters that absorb or develop "off tastes" due either to diet or water quality. Even trout and bass can taste funky if they come out of warm, weedy or stagnant waters.
The wipers from Willard live primarily on Gizzard shad. Anybody who has gotten "up close and personal" with a gizzard shad knows that they don't smell like roses. Some members of the shad and herring family are good eating and don't smell bad. But Gizzard shad often feed on "detritus" from the bottom of the lake...and can take on the odor of "swamp gas".
Utah anglers with a sensitive nose can even detect some of that residual "perfume" in a few of the walleyes. But fortunately it seems to remain in the discarded innards and not affect the delicate white flesh so much. Wipers, on the other hand, often develop enough "shad sweetness" that they are not as enjoyable on the table...especially to someone with an educated palate or sensitive olfactories.
Over the years I have been exposed to many different recipes for reducing objectionable tastes in finny fare. One of the simplest is soaking in mild salt water solution. Originally developed for catfish and bullheads but works fine for "mossy" trout and for funky bass and even shaddy wipers. In fact, I often mix some salt into the ice water I use to quick chill my fillets as I remove them from my fish. The salt both helps remove remaining blood from the fillets but "lightens" heavy flavors as well.
Another popular "rinse/soak" for strong tasting fish is a mild solution with baking soda. That stuff works miracles in odoriferous refrigerators in in foul smelling laundry. It also helps mellow out the "fishy" taste in fish. Some only leave the fish in for a short time. Others leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
The reason the mustard helps to "sweeten" wiper fillets is likely because of the vinegar content. Vinegar is like baking soda...a universal magical product with a bazillion uses. One of them is to wipe away dirt, grime and odors. I wouldn't recommend soaking fresh fillets in strong vinegar solution...unless you are trying to pickle them. But a quick rinse in a mild solution might help.
So far, my system of rinsing wipers in a salted ice water bath after filleting has been adequate to eliminate any shad stink leftovers. That, and slicing out the red sensory tissue along the lateral line, has resulted in many a great-tasting meal of wiper.
And if you prefer grilling or baking to frying, should be no problem. Got another recipe for anybody who wants to bake larger or thicker white-fleshed fillets from wipers or walleye: SOUP BAKING.
Put your fillets in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings. Mix up one or more cans of cream soups...mushroom, onion, celery, etc. A mix of two or more is great. Add enough milk to make a semi thick soup. Pour it over the fillets. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes...until fillets flake easily. Serve with cornbread or fresh hot french bread.
Optional is to put fish and soup over rice or noodles. And if you wanna get crazy you can bake in some of the stuff I use in chowders...shrimp, crisp bacon pieces, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, celery, carrots, etc.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
The wipers from Willard live primarily on Gizzard shad. Anybody who has gotten "up close and personal" with a gizzard shad knows that they don't smell like roses. Some members of the shad and herring family are good eating and don't smell bad. But Gizzard shad often feed on "detritus" from the bottom of the lake...and can take on the odor of "swamp gas".
Utah anglers with a sensitive nose can even detect some of that residual "perfume" in a few of the walleyes. But fortunately it seems to remain in the discarded innards and not affect the delicate white flesh so much. Wipers, on the other hand, often develop enough "shad sweetness" that they are not as enjoyable on the table...especially to someone with an educated palate or sensitive olfactories.
Over the years I have been exposed to many different recipes for reducing objectionable tastes in finny fare. One of the simplest is soaking in mild salt water solution. Originally developed for catfish and bullheads but works fine for "mossy" trout and for funky bass and even shaddy wipers. In fact, I often mix some salt into the ice water I use to quick chill my fillets as I remove them from my fish. The salt both helps remove remaining blood from the fillets but "lightens" heavy flavors as well.
Another popular "rinse/soak" for strong tasting fish is a mild solution with baking soda. That stuff works miracles in odoriferous refrigerators in in foul smelling laundry. It also helps mellow out the "fishy" taste in fish. Some only leave the fish in for a short time. Others leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
The reason the mustard helps to "sweeten" wiper fillets is likely because of the vinegar content. Vinegar is like baking soda...a universal magical product with a bazillion uses. One of them is to wipe away dirt, grime and odors. I wouldn't recommend soaking fresh fillets in strong vinegar solution...unless you are trying to pickle them. But a quick rinse in a mild solution might help.
So far, my system of rinsing wipers in a salted ice water bath after filleting has been adequate to eliminate any shad stink leftovers. That, and slicing out the red sensory tissue along the lateral line, has resulted in many a great-tasting meal of wiper.
And if you prefer grilling or baking to frying, should be no problem. Got another recipe for anybody who wants to bake larger or thicker white-fleshed fillets from wipers or walleye: SOUP BAKING.
Put your fillets in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings. Mix up one or more cans of cream soups...mushroom, onion, celery, etc. A mix of two or more is great. Add enough milk to make a semi thick soup. Pour it over the fillets. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes...until fillets flake easily. Serve with cornbread or fresh hot french bread.
Optional is to put fish and soup over rice or noodles. And if you wanna get crazy you can bake in some of the stuff I use in chowders...shrimp, crisp bacon pieces, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, celery, carrots, etc.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]