Recipes that Don't Suck

As some of you know, I like to eat and I like to eat well. I have been fortunate enough to be raised in a family with many good cooks. I would rather eat at home than a restaurant any day. A huge plate of food three times a day doesn't suck, and I am thankful for that. A typical meal consists of some type of potato, some type of vegetable and of course some type of meat.

I like reading through recipes and watching cooking shows. I really enjoy trying new recipes and digging up old ones. If I do go to a restaurant I like going to authentic ones. Trying something new or new to me is well worth it, the chain restaurants don't do it for me.

Any who, here are a few random fish recipes and side dish recipes for your next fish fry that I have collected over the years. Some of these are recipes from family and friends and others are from the internets. So if you have some extra fillets taking up room in your freezer, try these.

Walleye Ceviche

1 lb walleye fillet

1 cup lemon and/or lime juice

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp salt

1 bunch cilantro

1/2 large red onion

2 medium tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper

1. Slice fillets into very thin pieces

2. Marinate in the juice and salt for at least 4 hours in medium (nonreactive) bowl

3. After done marinating, strain off juice/salt mixture and place walleye in bowl

4. Finely chop all vegetables, and mix in bowl with olive oil to make salsa

5. Mix fish with salsa

6. Optional fresh cracked pepper to taste

7. Eat with corn chips or crackers.

You could do this with any fresh firm fish. As the dish is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh to minimize the risk of food poisoning. The lemon and lime juice will turn the color of the fish from translucent pink to opaque white. The acid from the limes and lemons change the structure of the proteins in the fish, essentially “cooking” the fish without using heat.  I didn't die when I ate this.

The Silver Satin Pickled Fish

Brine: ½ cup salt (Not iodized) to 1 quart water. Place fillets of fish in crock with brine for 24hrs. Cut fillets into squares approximately one inch by one inch. Cover completely. Drain brine after 24 hours. Cover with white vinegar for 12 hours. Drain off vinegar and throw away. Pack fish in jars and add raw onion slices alternating layers. Add enough pickling solution to cover fish and then cover the jars.

Pickling Solution: 4 cups white vinegar, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup silver satin wine or Barefoot, 2 raw onions, sliced fine, ¼ cup pickling spice.

Method: Dissolve sugar in white vinegar. Heat, then cool. (Do not boil) Add silver satin, onion s and pickling spice. Bring to a boil then cool.

Substitute for Silver Satin wine: Barefoot Moscato and Barefoot Riesling are both high quality products, taste the same. If you're going to drink it do so straight, warm, and out of a paper bag. Mmm.

Amount of Fish: a batch of it would be good for 6-8 pounds of pike.  I usually take out a gallon freezer bag full of fillets for one batch.  I bet that would be around 8-10 quart jars.  I use lots of onion… lots and lots.

Cleaning & cutting fish: Other important thing is to make sure the pieces of fish are cut to a size you like. I’ve made some too small people didn’t like and I’ve cut pieces too big that people didn’t like.  If you get that middle lateral line of the pike that is fat, make sure to dispose of it.  Bones will dissolve in the solution.

Added heat: pickled chili peppers and the juice for added heat. The little yellow ones are good.

Pickled fish MUST be frozen before it is pickled. The freezing process kills off any bacteria that might not be good for a person. Refrigerate for one week before eating.

Canned Pike

1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs oil (optional)

1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Put fish in pint jars, put ingredients on top of fish. Process at 11 lbs for 100 minutes. I prefer to debone fish and clean all 'red' meat off fillets, however bones may be left in since they will become soft under canning pressure.

Pike Chowder

2 cups diced northern pike – 1' chunk sprinkled with seafood seasoning
Melt 4 T butter
Add 1 chopped onion
3-4 diced potatoes
1 stick celery
Carrots

Cook potatoes and carrots until done
Add 1 can evaporated milk
Add 1 can cream of celery soup
Add fish
Simmer 20 minutes until fish is flakey, season to taste.

Poor Man's Lobster

2 1/2 cups white wine
1 small onion
4 lemon slices
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp peppercorns
1 small bay leaf
1.5 pounds fish (3/4 inch thick)

Boil 4-5 minutes until fish turns snow white. Serve with melted butter and fresh lemon wedge

Pike Dip

1 pint boneless pike

1 (8 oz) pack of cream cheese

1 tsp of liquid smoke

2 Tbs prepared horseradish

1 Tbs soy sauce

Dash of pepper and salt

Boil or steam pike fillets with chicken stock until cooked and easily flakes apart. Flake apart fillets with fork while checking for bones. Throw everything into a mixer and let it mix at low speed for a few minutes. Or mix together with fork if you like it chunky. Serve cold with multi-grain crackers or something similar.

Pickled Eggs and Sausage

2 cups white vinegar

1 cup water

3 tablespoons pickling spice

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

6 to 7 squirts Frank's Red Hot Sauce (optional for color or you can use beet juice)

1 tablespoon crushed garlic or powder

1 tablespoon dried onion

Hard boil 18 eggs and boil, then 3 packages Polish sausage until they float. Arrange eggs and sausage in layers, pack to top. Take shells off. Take care not to split eggs. Combine all other ingredients in a medium sauce pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

While still hot, carefully pour brine until full. Put lid on tight shake to mix for 3 days and enjoy.

Dilled Pickled Eggs

1.5 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon dill weed 

1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon minced onion
1 peeled garlic clove
Dozen eggs
 

If you want heat add jalapenos. For stronger flavor poke holes in eggs with toothpick. Pour above solution over eggs in jar.

Like to let them rest for a week. Should be good for a couple months if they last that long. Also, bring all the ingredients except the eggs to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Refrigerate immediately. Goes good with a 30 pack of Busch Light.

Dutch's Wicked Baked Beans

6 to 8 strips of bacon cut into 1/2 inch squares

1/2 medium onion (diced)

1/2 bell pepper (diced)

1 or 2 jalapeño peppers (diced) (seeding is optional)

1 - 55 ounce can Bush's baked beans

1- 8 ounce can of pineapple chunks (drained)

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 cup ketchup

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon dry mustard (ground)

Sauté bacon pieces in fry pan until crispy and remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Sauté onion, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper until tender.

In a large mixing bowl combine beans, pineapple, brown sugar, ketchup and dry mustard. Stir in bacon pieces and vegetables. Pour into a 12X9 or a deep 9X9 aluminum baking pan. (While mixing if things look dry, add additional ketchup 1/4 -1/2 cup at a time)

Place in a 220-250° smoker for 2 1/2 - 3 hours (make sure temperature of the baked beans reaches 160°) or place in a 350° oven and bake for 1 hour.

DISCLAIMER

With the jalapeño pepper and the dry mustard these beans have the potential for some MAJOR heat. CAUTION should be exercised when feeding these beans to small children, elderly or weak of stomach patrons.