Hogfish and Crappie

Being an old Arkansas boy I grew up eating fish caught from our farm pond and local lakes. One of my favorites was all ways hands down crappie. After moving the Florida coast I was introduced to this wonderful fish called Hogfish. To a country boy the hogfish is basically the crappie of the sea. The meat texture and taste are almost identical. I pulled this old letter from a email from years past and after a stroll down memory lane the light bulb came on in my head and realized that all of these recipes would work perfectly with hogfish. So just read trough and replace crappie with hogfish and bon appétit.

New ways to cook crappie



What is Arkansas' best eating fish?

From time to time, you hear folks cussing and discussing this topic. Walleye is nearly always mentioned by those fortunate enough to have tried it.

Bream, bass and catfish have their champions, too, and more than a few claim sauger and fried buffalo ribs are the best of the best.



I would venture to guess, though, that crappie claims top honors in more than half of these polls.

The delicate, pleasing flavor of this popular panfish makes it a favorite of many Arkansans.



When cooking crappie, the Old South favorite is hard to beat: fillets salted and peppered, rolled in corn meal and fried to a golden brown. But there are as many ways to prepare crappie as there are of catching them. Two of my favorite recipes are listed below. In a pinch, fillets of bass, bream, catfish, or walleye can be substituted for the crappie.



Crappie with Smoked Bacon



8 to 12 crappie fillets

one lemon

salt

flour

6 ounces thick-cut smoked bacon

fresh parsley



Wash the fillets, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the fish on a plate, and squeeze the juice of half the lemon over them. Set aside for 10 minutes while you dice the bacon and fry it in a skillet. Set the bacon aside when it is done, but leave the bacon grease in the skillet. Season the fish fillets with salt, dredge in flour, and fry them in the bacon grease, 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Arrange the fish on a heated platter, and crumble the bacon on top.

Garnish with parsley sprigs and slices from the second half of the lemon. Serves 4 to 6.



Poached Crappie Fillets with Shrimp Sauce



2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

8 to 12 crappie fillets



In a 10-inch skillet, combine water, bay leaf,

1/4 teaspoon salt and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add fillets. Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 3 to 5 minutes, or until fish is firm and opaque and just begins to flake.

Drain and discard the poaching liquid. Cover the fish to keep warm. Set aside.



Shrimp Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons flour

a pinch of white pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

a dash of paprika

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup diced, cooked shrimp



To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in an 8- inch skillet over low heat. Add the flour, white pepper, salt and paprika, and stir until blended. Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly and taking care not to scorch the mixture. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Add the Worcestershire sauce and shrimp, stir and heat through. Serve the shrimp sauce over the fillets. Garnish with a light sprinkling of paprika and snipped fresh chives or parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.