BWCA Spices for fish in the BWCA...help! Boundary Waters BWCA Food and Recipes
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      Spices for fish in the BWCA...help!     

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SaganagaJoe
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07/21/2015 07:49PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Our family bought a Traeger smoker/grill this past spring and have been enjoying simply the most delicious fish recipes over the past few months. Then on our BWCA trip this year we did the standard shorelunch in our frying pan over our stove. It was bland and actually hard to get down, even with some lemon and tartar sauce, because of the incredibly well spiced and smoked fish meals I have been enjoying.

I know it wasn't the fish (walleye and bass) but the spices that were the problem. What's your favorite spice combination to put on fish up north, and how does that figure into your recipe? The fish recipe section isn't too well developed yet...

 
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Jackfish
Moderator
  
07/21/2015 09:35PM  
Joe,
We use a 50/50 mix of the commonly found "Shorelunch" brand breader that you can find at almost any grocery store (at least here in the Midwest) and a product called Medium Hot Breader from House Autry Mills.

Don't let the term "medium hot" mislead you. It's not hot. Maybe a little if you use it by itself, but mixing it 50/50 with the fairly bland Shorelunch makes for a perfectly seasoned batch of pan-fried walleye (or just about any other fish - pike, bluegills, bass, etc.). It's a very fine breader that incorporates itself into the fish fillet as it's being pan fried. Not all cakey and gooey. No need for milk, egg, etc. either.

I can't remember where you live, but I'd be willing to send you a bag to try. I have some extras. No big deal.
 
SaganagaJoe
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07/21/2015 10:48PM  
Thanks for your generous offer, Jackfish but we won't need shorelunch until next year's trip anyway. I'm just looking for spice combinations that will work well with fish when I'm up north.
 
07/22/2015 05:47AM  
We typically put lemon pepper alone or lemon pepper and dill.
And of course neve leave home without Tony Cachere's. Either the Original or there's a "new" one that while still spicy has more garlic and herbs.

One year it seem we played a game of "my hot sauce will beat up your hot sauce". Interesting for variety but kind of overwhelmed the fish.

One I'm itching to try, Fox Point Seasoning, from the old world spice shop in Milwaukee. Seems like it would be a good addition.
 
Jackfish
Moderator
  
07/22/2015 01:44PM  
Joe, the spices in the medium hot breader are what I'm talking about. Nearly everyone uses a breader of some sort and the medium hot breader that we bring accomplishes that when used in conjunction with the milder Shorelunch product. We find this combination to be the perfect balance - not too spicey, not too mild - without having to carry in a number of different spices and try to make fish the same every time.

Everybody's taste buds are different and you may be perfectly happy with something else. I can assure you this much, though... our fish is pretty darn good.
 
07/22/2015 01:46PM  
For beer batter I use 1 T seasoning salt, 1 t garlic salt and 1 t cayenne pepper. This is per cup of flour and 1/2 cup beer.
 
neutroner
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07/22/2015 06:40PM  
I use three general recipes/techniques. The first is baked (foil or direct coal method); For spice inside I prefer to use a mix of 'real' lemon or slices and juice of a real lemon, baby dill leaves, and butter, or simply lemon pepper and butter. I put olive oil on outside and cook, when done I sprinkle with sea salt.
If I'm oil frying I use the shore lunch mix, beer batter mix, I just follow the directions.
80% of the time I use a mix of flour (sometimes with a little cornmeal), garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, pepper. After rinsing and drying fish, I put it in a bag with rehydrated eggs (two). I then will put the filet in a bag with the flour mix. After cooking I sprinkle with sea salt.
 
lundojam
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07/22/2015 07:57PM  
Shore lunch corn meal recipe or ground up pretzels. Make sure your oil is HOT and that there is a lot of it. The more oil you use, the less its temperature changes when the fish hits the oil so it doesn't soak in as much. These fish have a delicate, sweet flavor, so don't go too spicy and cover it up ( in my opinion.)
 
Saberboys
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07/23/2015 12:23PM  
My favorite is honey dijon. Just add honey, dijon, dill, a little lemon and butter over your filet (ok to leave the skin on, it keeps the filet together but will fall right off after cooking). Wrap in foil and cook over the fire. AWESOME!
 
Charliepete
Guest Paddler
  
07/23/2015 02:10PM  
When I fry fish my favorite method is to bread in a pasta flour called semolina. It tastier and cheaper than the commercial stuff geared towards fish frying. Semolina fries up much crisper than regular flour and doesn't hold as much grease. Instead of spicing the flour, I find that it's better to spice the fillets directly and then apply the flour afterwards. If I am lazy I just use store bought Creole seasoning. At home I mix my own and use salt, black peppar, garlic, cayenne, paprika, oregano, and basil.

When I grill fish I tend to use butter, lemon, and fresh rosemary sprigs wrapped in foil. 5 minutes a side of medium coals.
 
Swampturtle
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07/23/2015 03:52PM  
If you are missing the smoke specifically, you might want to try adding smoked paprika blended into other spices mentioned by others. Penzeys has a new roasted garlic powder that is really nice and mellow...not sharp like regular garlic powder. In a pinch I've used bisquick complete biscuit mix in garlic & cheese flavor as a breading.

I like an herb blend mixed in with my flour or breading mix, but I always ask myself what are we in the mood for....Italian blend, hot & spicy blend, garlic herb blend, Cajun blend, old bay, dill, onion, Parmesan & red pepper, bacon salt. Paul prudehomme has a line of blackened fish seasoning blends, gives you an idea of what spices pair well with certain fish, but it's really a matter of taste.

Sometimes what you are cooking in...oil or butter makes a difference. I blend both together at home, when camping I use ghee & oil for fish. Breading should be light otherwise it soaks up the oil and gets hard & dense.

My process is...Pat the fish dry before dipping, use a light breading with herbs mixed in, fry in oil & ghee blend, salt & pepper immediately after taking out of the pan.

 
Fried Fish
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07/24/2015 10:06PM  
Dried mashed potato flakes, panko, panfry. Buck a bag potato flakes, there are different flavors or just add any dried herbs you like to mix. You could add a little smoked paprika or a little powdered chipotle for a little smoky heat.
 
Basspro69
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07/24/2015 11:07PM  
Mccormicks grillmates roasted garlic and herbs added to any fish recipe, will give it a wonderful flavor. Works especially well on trout and salmon with olive oil.
 
Northwoodsman
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07/25/2015 12:26PM  
My brother cooked fish a few times on our recent trip much like Basspro69's beautiful creation. Coated the fish with a liquid butter substitute, Mrs. Dash salt free herb blend, pepper and lemon juice. Wrapped it in foil and cooked it either in the coals or on a gas stove. We had store bought lake trout and salmon, and fresh caught northern pike prepared this way. All were simple and excellent.
 
07/26/2015 12:56PM  
This is pretty light and I use it mostly with bluegills. I have used it with my Quetico fish group and it works well, but we have decided we are hooked on my beer batter recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose breading mix
1 cup pkged biscuit mix
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 tbs onion soup mix
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 ibs fresh or frozen whitefish (thawed)

How to make it

mix together all ingredients except fish in bowl
Heat 1/4 of an inch of oil in large skillet
coat fish in mixture
fry each side over medium heat about 4-5 minutes
 
SaganagaJoe
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07/28/2015 01:22AM  
Thank you all for your help, lots of ideas here to try.
 
Bronco
member (39)member
  
07/30/2015 12:54PM  
Joe-- The fish bake that Neutroner mentioned is my favorite. I found a spice at walmart called Tejin its a lime pepper mix that goes great on the fire baked fish. I like it better then lemon pepper. it is also great on fruit. we bake the fish pull it apart and serve it taco style on flour tortillas with salsa packets...awesome meal
 
HammerII
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08/01/2015 08:49PM  
As a true Southern Maryland'er there is only one seafood spice needed and that is "Old Bay"
its perfect on fish and crabs and anything else you add it too. We love it sprinked on grilled corn.

Old Bay
 
BananaHammock
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08/23/2015 08:37PM  
1 package corn meal, 1 can italian bread crumbs and some old bay seasoning. Cheap and delicious. We bring hot sauce packets and olive garden packets of romano cheese....yum
 
10/09/2015 11:10PM  
a simple mainstay for our groups is, in a gallon ziplock equal amount of flour and instant potato flake add lawry's-pepper-garlic powder, shake & fry up in the crisco bars, add alittle table salt after the fry. simple-good-cheap.
 
jcheese
member (27)member
  
11/04/2015 09:14PM  
First trip we tried both Shorelunch and Louisiana Fry (blue package). Both were good, but we ended up liking a 50/50 mix the most. We add a good bit of Old Bay seasoning as well. Pan fry in peanut or canola oil as usual.

That's been our go-to breading every trip since.
 
oth
Guest Paddler
  
11/05/2015 04:02PM  
Doritos 'Sweet Spicy Chili' chips. Pulverized in food processor and added to bland breading or sprinkled on baking fish.
 
CanoeKev
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12/15/2015 11:04AM  
Our favrite method for bass, walleye, and pike is as follows:

Marinate filets in ziplock containing key lime juice for 5 to 10 minutes. Bread with Bass Pro Uncle Buck's Original breading mix (not the mild or hot).
Delicious and easy. Just slightly spicy.
 
Hamm0cker
senior member (91)senior membersenior member
  
12/17/2015 08:11AM  
Double sided shaker. Old Bay in one side, Lemon Pepper in the other.
 
12/17/2015 04:30PM  

Ummm. Can't have fish without Old Bay!
 
12/17/2015 04:37PM  
Salt and pepper. I do like simplicity. Will admit to liking fresh fish dredged in dry potato pancake mix with added freeze dried green onion bits, pan fried in a bit of oil.

butthead
 
12/17/2015 05:48PM  
^^^ Mmmmm........add garlic powder.
 
01/07/2016 12:28PM  
quote HammerII: " As a true Southern Maryland'er there is only one seafood spice needed and that is "Old Bay"
its perfect on fish and crabs and anything else you add it too. We love it sprinked on grilled corn.


Old Bay "

+1 Old bay
also, Cajun Blackening spice.
AndySG used the Cajun spice on our 2014 trip. It was DELICIOUS!
 
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