I didn’t really know much about crappie. Could be I still don’t, but I know I like it. I have occasionally pronounced it incorrectly – a word I wasn’t allowed to use as a kid. Out of respect for the little fish, I will try harder now.
I had the good fortune of receiving frozen crappie from Bill and Lyn Baldwin along with a few recipes. I love my job. I also love serving and eating healthy foods that are locally grown or raised.
When I was young, we’d go fishing and my mother would always fry the catch-of-the-day. It was very good – no complaints, but I love the delicate flavors of pan-seared and baked fish. The Baldwin’s sunfish, or crappie, had a wonderful mild flavor that paired nicely with fresh herbs and a firm texture that held up well in the oven. I tried the first recipe on Friday evening, and it tasted marvelous.
Crappie with Crab Meat Stuffing
2 lbs. crappie
2 6-oz. packages frozen crab meat
1/3 c. butter, melted, divided
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/3 c. celery, chopped
1/3 c. green pepper, chopped
2 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1-2 Tbsp. mixed fresh herbs (like basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, chives)
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. shrimp
2 cloves garlic
Butter or olive oil to sauté in skillet
Thaw fish, crab meat and shrimp, if frozen. Drain well. Measure 1/4 c. butter into skillet. On medium-high heat, cook onion, celery and green pepper until tender.
In a separate bowl, combine crab meat, bread crumbs, eggs, herbs, 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Mix those ingredients with the cooked vegetables and turn off the heat.
Arrange crappie fillets on a baking dish. Brush with melted butter and spoon the dressing mixture over the top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
When the fish is almost done, quickly sauté the shrimp with chopped garlic and butter or olive oil. Sprinkle with a scant amount of salt and pepper.
Remove fish from the oven and pour shrimp scampi over the top. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Now, I must be honest. I looked at crab meat at the store. I looked at the fake stuff too, but quickly put it down. Back to the real crab meat, I shuddered at the price. So I skipped it when making the above recipe. I’m sure it would have been fantastic with all the ingredients, but it was still fabulous without the crab.
That last bit about pouring the shrimp scampi over the fillets was the ticket. All that scampi loveliness soaking into the bread crumbs was sensational. Imagine it poured over cooked rice. Mmm, wish I had done that, but my side salad was a good healthy choice.
Other recipes for Crappie include:
Pan-Seared Crappie Fillets
1 stick butter
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried tarragon, crushed
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Place crappie fillets on a paper towel, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Let the fillets come to room temperature.
Place a large non-stick skillet on the stove and sauté butter, onions, parsley, garlic and tarragon on high heat until caramelized. Place fillets in skillet and cook on high heat for exactly 2 minutes – no longer. Turn the fillets once – do not turn again – and cook until done.
While fillets are cooking, preheat oven-safe serving plates in oven. Place the done fillets on the warm plates. Pour lemon juice into the skillet. That will deglaze the pan and pick up all the yummy bits. Drizzle over the fillets.
Bill Baldwin recommends serving with freshly steamed asparagus and buttery-parsley new potatoes. I concur.
This last recipe sounds intriguing, I have never made Creole with so few ingredients. Definitely worth a try.
Crappie Creole
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
24 ozs. vegetable juice or 32 ozs. tomato sauce
Creole seasoning, to taste (like Tony’s)
Hot sauce, to taste
1 lb. shrimp
1 lb. crappie
Cook flour and olive oil in a large pot, making a roux. Add vegetables and continue cooking until softened. Add vegetable juice or tomato sauce and season. Simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally as the mixture thickens.
Add shrimp and push them down to the bottom of the pot. Lay crappie on top and push them just under the surface of the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Baldwin says that you’ll know when it’s done.
I thoroughly enjoyed receiving those recipes – and the fish too! Crappie is a winner. In recipes, it could easily replace store-bought farmed tilapia or swai, usually raised in questionable conditions. Local crappie will be on our table more often. I may start fishing – in my spare time.