We finally have a few things to celebrate in the month of May. First is that winter is coming to an end. Second is Mother’s Day! And what better way to celebrate warmer weather along with the woman we appreciate in our lives than with some fresh Walleye! Typically when Walleye is cooked it’s fried, but it’s actually a very versatile fish and this blog will give you two simple but different ways to prepare it.
All About Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater fish that is native to the Great Lakes, Lake Erie in particular. It is considered a summer time fish because it’s known to be a popular fish to catch when the waters are warmer and the fish are more active. Walleye is typically a smaller fish to catch, however, there was an Ohio State record of a Walleye caught in Lake Erie that weighed over 16 pounds!
Walleye typically is used in fish fries, however, because of its sweet, subtle, and mild flavor, it can be used for other recipes. When cooked, the meat produces a firm, nice flake to it. It’s low oil content makes it a light fish to consume.
Baked Lemon Pepper Walleye
For this month, I wanted to take a recipe and try it two different ways with the same ingredients to see if there is any taste difference between the two. One of the ways I decided to cook Walleye is by baking it. This simple, yet flavorful recipe will hopefully give you another alternative than the typical frying of fish.
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter (melted)
1# Walleye fillets. Skin on is optional. (feeds two)
½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning
½ tsp dried basil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat walleye with butter. Sprinkle on your lemon pepper seasoning and dried basil on both sides of the fish. If you would like a stronger lemon taste, putting fresh cut lemons on the fish would add a nice flavor to it.
Once the oven is preheated, place fish onto a baking sheet and place into the oven. Let cook for about 6-7 minutes or until the fish is white and flakes nicely with a fork.
Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Pan Fried Lemon Pepper Walleye
Another way to use the same ingredients as the above recipe, is by pan frying it. This is different from a fish fry as this recipe doesn’t have any bread crumbs or cornmeal added to it.
Ingredients
1# Walleye fillets - skin on (feeds two)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
½ tsp dried basil
Directions
Heat a skillet to medium heat
Season your Walleye fillets with oil and a generous amount of lemon pepper seasoning.
Add butter to your heated skillet and place the fish, skin side down, in the skillet. Place a lid over the fish to help steam the fish.
Cook the fish for about 4 minutes then gently flip for another 3-4 minutes. Once the Walleye turns white and flakes nicely, remove from the skillet. Serve and enjoy!
**Baking and pan frying Walleye with the same ingredients didn’t change the taste of the fish at all. Pan searing the Walleye gave it a nice crust with the seasoning. I did find that baking the fish helped keep more moisture in the fish itself. Either way you decide to prepare the fish, you’ll get the same great taste, but maybe just a little different texture to them.
At Foremost Seafood
With the weather finally starting to get warmer on a more consistent basis, it’s the perfect time to change up your recipes with some seafood. Walleye, being a fried favorite, is also a very versatile fish. Change it up a little with our two recipes above featuring fresh Walleye. Let’s not forget that Mother’s Day is just around the corner and there's no better way to show the woman in your life some appreciation than through her stomach.
As always, make sure you check out our frozen selection as well, as we strive to give our customers the best quality seafood around. Give us a call today at (937) 298-1986 to place your order or feel free to stop on by and say hi. Our location is 1912 Woodman Center Dr. Kettering, OH. Don’t forget to tag us in your seafood dishes as well! We love getting inspiration from our customers.