When it comes to the best way to cook crappie, there is an immense debate over the best way to do it. There are many individuals who are in the “fillet” camp, simply because they not only believe that’s the best way to do it but also because they don’t feel like messing with any of the bones of the crappie.
However, there are definitely some who bristle at the idea of filleting their crappie catch, simply because of the fact that filleting a fish can be a difficult process and the last thing they want to do is “waste” any of that great meat that the crappie might have. At the same time, there are some people in yet another camp, and these individuals feel that cooking a crappie whole with the skin on is by far the best way to go. If you are a bit skeptical of this route, then you should, first of all, realize there are many advantages to this method:
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Cooking crappie with the skin on has a tendency to give it a nice, unique, rich and nutty flavor.
Those who swear by cooking crappie whole usually do so because they love the unique flavor that comes from the skin of the crappie. This wonderful nutty flavor is not something that people who fillet it will get. Moreover, keeping the skin on your crappie is a great way to match it up with the white meat underneath.
There are a lot of great coatings you can use.
The best thing about cookie crappie with the skin on is that there are a lot of great coatings you can use in order to enhance the flavor. For example, you can use such things as beer and paprika for a nice dish. There are also several buttermilk, Bisquick, and cornmeal coatings you can use for your crappie.
Why should you keep the skin on in the first place?
Of course, this is all well and good, but what about the motivations for doing it in the first place? Naturally, proponents of filleting the crappie will always say that they enjoy that method simply because it isn’t as messy. However, if you ask someone who is into baking the crappie whole, they will tell you that it is definitely worth the extra effort.
One of the main reasons for that is because some people simply just get hooked on the crappie skin in the first place. There is no question that once you have tried this crispy and salty skin combined with the excellent white meat, there is no way that you are going to go back. If you are sold on this now and are going to go ahead and cook crappie with the skin on, here are some tips you should keep in mind:
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Go with a “neutral” coating or one that complements the taste.
Ideally, whatever coating you select, you want to go with something that will not detract from the taste. Don’t fret, however, because there are many good options to consider. One of the best ones would go back to the cornmeal option because it will help you retain the original nutty flavor of the crappie skin. Of course, if corn meal isn’t quite your thing, don’t panic because there are still plenty of other options available.
For example, many individuals like to bread their crappie by actually placing a set of original Keebler Club Crackers on the fish. What most anglers will normally do is put these crackers in a zip lock bag and then thoroughly roll them into crumbs. Then, the angler will crack open a couple of eggs and add a little water, and beat them together.
Most proponents of this recipe recommend not using milk with the eggs simply because it might burn upon you. Combine this mixture with some all-purpose flour and then rinse your crappies and shake in the flour. After dipping the cracker in the egg wash, coat them with the cracker crumbs.
Finally, you should fry the crappie in canola oil for a few minutes. Many anglers swear by this recipe for cooking crappie with the skin still intact simply because they think it will complement the taste of the crappie very nicely.
Other anglers like to use a mixture of Italian Bread Crumbs and Fryin’ Magic mixed in a 50/50 solution. They will usually dip the fish in Evaporated Milk and then they will mix in the Italian Bread Crumbs and Fryin’ Magic combination. After that, you can fry them in canola oil like normal. Of course, if you use this method, you should be sure that the oil is hot.
You can test it by dropping a pinch of the mixture in the pan and seeing if it either spatters or rises. If that happens, then you know that the oil is ready. Of course, if you go with this mixture, you should make sure that the fish isn’t overcooked or burnt. Watch it closely, because if you don’t the oil will take on that taste and ruin the batch.
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Alternately, there are quite a few people that will do a variation of the cornmeal breading. For example, there are some individual chefs who will take this white cornmeal and add such things as Lawry’s Season Salt and lemon pepper. Moreover, there are some people who will fine-tune that combination as well, going with cornmeal, Lawry’s Season Salt, and red pepper.
As you can see, the methods of preparing your crappie with the skin on are literally endless. The sky is truly the limit in this case. You can find a lot of variation using cornmeal, but you also can find other variations as well. There are a lot of anglers who like to use the Zatarain’s brand of fish breading for their crappie. In reality, the only way that you are going to figure out more recipes for preparing your crappie with the skin intact is to ask around. Ask all of the other crappie enthusiasts how they make it. You never know, you might just find a way to prepare it that is simply your heart’s delight.
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