fried walleye and colcannon
I thought I knew a good fish fry until I lived in Minnesota, where the state fish, the ever-famous walleye, was a gamechanger. It’s the way it melts in your mouth, how its flavor balances perfectly with spices inside a golden-brown crust.
But, like any wild game or fish, there are ways of maximizing taste. Buttermilk is one method for tenderizing proteins. Additionally, when fish or game coated in buttermilk gets thrown through dredge, flour adheres to the fat within buttermilk and seals in moisture, resulting in both a golden-brown crust and succulent-tasting fish.
Ingredients (makes two servings):
• 4 4.5-ounce walleye fillets, skinned and halved • 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons of your favorite fish spice mix • 1-1/2 cups buttermilk Colcannon: • 3 large russet potatoes (enough to yield approximately 6 to 7 cups when mashed), cubed
• Half a medium green cabbage head, sliced into 2-inch strips
• 6 tablespoons butter (divided use)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2-cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 large cloves fresh garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided use)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons white pepper (divided use)
• 2 tablespoons diced scallions
To prepare:
1. Remove skin from fillets and cut them in half. Place in a large bowl and cover with buttermilk, place in refrigerator. Allow to soak for minimum 30 minutes (max 2 hours).
2. For colcannon, halve a medium-size cabbage, cut out stem. Cut cabbage (parallel to stem location) into thin strips. Cut into half to create 2-inch strips.
3. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and place 2 tablespoons of butter into skillet. Add sliced cabbage and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir often until cabbage strips acquire golden-brown color. Turn off heat.
4. Wash and boil potatoes until every cube can be easily mashed with a fork. Drain water and set aside.
5. While potatoes boil, add 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2-cup chicken stock to a small pot. Add 2 large cloves of fresh garlic (peeled and smashed) and 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, along with 1 teaspoon each of following: kosher salt, white pepper, white sugar. Let simmer until liquids have reduced to half.
6. In a deep sauté pan, heat half-inch of oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix flour and spices in large bowl or deep platter.
7. Once oil is heated, throw fish through flour dredge. Shake off any excess flour. Two pieces are ideal amount for pan frying. Turn pieces with tongs once underside turns golden. Remove when all sides are golden and fish is cooked thoroughly.
8. To assemble colcannon, add cooked potatoes to large mixing bowl. Drain cream pot contents through sieve into mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly while mashing and folding potatoes into cream. During this process, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add cooked cabbage, continue to stir. Add another 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of white pepper. Salt to taste. Once mixture is fairly creamy, add scallions.