pan-fried Northern pike

various dates

The only way I can get pike here in Deming , NM is by having it shipped in frozen. The supplier of this fish recommends not to thaw before cooking. In my personal experience, Northern pike to become rather chewy if not thawed out first.

A. pan-fried Northern pike

2018-03-05

I have always found it difficult to cook Northern pike. It often gets tough and rubbery, and doesn't taste very pleasant anymore. I was already making Seafood Soup and decided to slow-thaw the fish in the warm soup first, with the soup off the heat. I coddled the frozen Northern pike in the luke warm soup for 30+ minutes until thawed without being cooked.

I then pan-fried the fish with a generous helping of Old Bay spices for extra flavor. I found that doing that gets me better results than pan-frying the still frozen fish.

I ate most of the fish for dinner that day. When serving the soup, I added the leftover pan-fried fish crumbled . That was quite good. Feel free to use as much as you like.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

1.5 lbs. northern pike steaks
S&P
Old Bay spices

Pic1: pan-fried Northern pike

Directions

Thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator.
Or do as I did and make a soup, just for that purpose. :-)
Season to taste.
I used a generous helping of Old Bay spices.
Sauté in hot oil until you get a nicely brown crust.
Reduce heat and simmer over low heat until cooked through, 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The fish should be easy to separate with a fork, but should not fall apart in the pan.
Serve and enjoy.
I also added some of the pan-fried fish to the seafood soup.

Pic2: frozen northern pike
Pic3: pan-fried
Pic4: add some fish to the seafood soup

B. Spanish-fried spicy Northern pike

2016-09-01

This cooking method is also known as Spanish (deep-) frying: heat about 1/4 to ½ ” cooking oil in a frying pan and constantly ladle the hot oil over the food. This gives a nice crisp outside with a moist interior.
Of all the methods I have tried for cooking pike, this one gave the nicest crust with a still-moist interior.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

1.5 lb. pike steaks 12 oz. each
olive oil
S&P
soy sauce
hot pepper sauce

Pic1: spicy Northern pike

Directions

Heat 1/4” of cooking oil near-smoking hot.
Add the frozen fish. Cook for 1 minute each side to sear the fish.
Careful for spattering.
Add S&P to taste, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. (or more?) hot pepper sauce.
Know your hot peppers. Don't spoil a good fish because you added more than you can handle.
Reduce to medium to low heat and warm the fish throughout 10-15 minutes. (Pic2+3)
The oil has to keep bubbling everywhere it touches the fish.
When nearly done, increase to high heat again to crisp the outside of the fish.
Keep ladling hot oil over the fish throughout the entire cooking process.
Serve with vegetables.

For the sauce,
- Pour off most of the grease and use the watery part of the cooking liquid as sauce. If necessary, add some water to deglaze the pan.
- Ladle some sauce over the fish.

Pic2: Spanish-frying
Pic3: served
Pic4: just right

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org