10 replies to this topic

[El Todd]

Forgive me if this is a little off topic, but it's something I've been wondering for a little while. I first started thinking about it when a guy was giving a lecture at PVAS and was showing pictures of his trip to Mexico collecting goodeids. In one picture he showed a picture of the dinner he ordered one night which consisted of small fish and/or minnows  in a basket; kind of like fried shrimp in a basket but with minnows. When I think about it, it's extremely common to eat small freshwater fish most places in the world; in England it's called Whitebait, in India celestial pearl danio's are seen as food. So, it all begs the question why has it never caught on anywhere at all in the U.S.? Is there something about out native species that tastes bad? I myself can't really bring myself to think of whole cyprinid and chubs as food, but that's probably more to do with growing up here - I eat other fish all the time. 

[azteca]

Hello.

 

I have already asked myself the question, why couldn't we eat small 3-4 inch Yellow-perch like a sardines.

 

A+

Edited by azteca, 19 February 2021 - 10:42 AM.

[azteca]

Hello.

 

Like those one.

 

watch

 

A+

[centrarchid]

Below is a combination platter of Virile Crayfish, Redfin Shiners, and Brook Silversides. They were rolled in flour and fried whole with no processing for the fish. The Redfin Shiners where easily discernible from the silversides, where I prefer the latter. The crayfish as prepared had a better than 60% dressout. Both fish had 100% dressout. We also found you can eat entire Bluegill fingerling, spines, bones, scales and all using a different preparation method and they are quite tasty.

 

 

 

 

[El Todd]

That's pretty cool. It kind of looks like the dish the guy had in Mexico. Seems pretty simple to catch and make - seems kind of odd that it's not a common part of cuisine anywhere at all in the US. My dad had a great recipe for bluegill; we only ate the bigger ones though, he would filet them. They tasted really good, better than fish I usually get from the super market. 

[azteca]

Hello.

 

Small Yellow-perch of the year.

A+

[El Todd]

That looks pretty tasty. Is it tough dealing with the bones?

[azteca]

Hello.

 

They are clean like a sardines, I cut off the head in half and I pull out the intestines with.

 

It's crispy outside but very tender inside.

A+

[centrarchid]

With mine you eat bones too. This includes head and innards. They be good!

[jjohnwm]

Don't people eat smelt anymore?  When I was a kid ('60s) we would catch huge numbers of smelt when they were running along the beaches in Lake Erie using seine nets.  They were cleaned with scissors; snip off the head, slit from the anus forward, and then stick a thumb inside to push all the internals out the front end.  Then lightly battered and fried; eaten with bones/skin/fins.  A true delicacy of my youth, and a terrific time spent with family and friends.  I vividly recall the excitement of the first year I was allowed to do some of the netting; good times. 

 

I'll try just about anything once...but not really a fan of eating fish with all the innards in place...which naturally includes all the stuff in the innards...

[centrarchid]

Don't people eat smelt anymore?  When I was a kid ('60s) we would catch huge numbers of smelt when they were running along the beaches in Lake Erie using seine nets.  They were cleaned with scissors; snip off the head, slit from the anus forward, and then stick a thumb inside to push all the internals out the front end.  Then lightly battered and fried; eaten with bones/skin/fins.  A true delicacy of my youth, and a terrific time spent with family and friends.  I vividly recall the excitement of the first year I was allowed to do some of the netting; good times. 

 

I'll try just about anything once...but not really a fan of eating fish with all the innards in place...which naturally includes all the stuff in the innards...

If you like smelt, you'll like what I suggest. I have done both many times. Open thy mind