Pike!

[Gone Fishin]

So I just got back from fishing the Pend Oreille River and came back with a bunch of pike meat. I cooked some up last night. I tried two different ways on the bbq and it turned out pretty good. I know it could be better! Anybody have any suggestions on cooking pike?

[kevinb]

I got curious about this and started looking around. I've never had pike and have always been a C&R guy. But I'll need to give it a try.

Baked Fish Recipes - Cheese Baked Northern Pike
2 lbs boneless pike fillets

Can of tomato soup

2 finely chopped green onions

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1 cup of grated Cheddar cheese

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a baking pan and put the pike in. Mix the Soup, onion and pepper. Pour the mixture over the fish and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to minutes or until the fish flakes.


Baked Fish Recipes - Northern Pike Thermidor
1 lb northern pike fillets – boneless

1/4 cup milk

2 green onions

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 tsp. paprika

2 tbs Fresh parsley

1/2 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbs butter

2 tbs parmesan cheese

1 cup of condensed shrimp soup

Lemons

Water to cover

Cut the northern pike fillets into ½ inch cubes. Put the cubes, onion and lemon into a greased skillet. Pour in water to just cover the fillets. Bring the water to a boil – and then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. In another pan mix the soup and flour. Next stir in the milk and wine – bringing to a mild boil until the mixture thickens. Add the mozzarella and parsley. Drain the fish and add to the sauce.

Now spoon the fish into pastry shells. Combine the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, butter and paprika. Dust the mixture over the fish and broil for 2 minutes. This baked fish recipe serves 4.

I also found this

http://www.jeffsundin.com/EBFrecipes.htm

Hope this helps. You'll have to let us know what method was used and how it was.:chef:

[Gone Fishin]

Wow those sound great! I just ate some leftover from last night. I coated it in cajun seasoning and put it on the bbq. It turned out pretty good. Im smoking some tomorrow. The meat itself has a pretty good flavor. I thought it would dry out easy like a lot of white meat fish do but it was actually realy moist and a little oily. I really ned to work on the boneless fillet part. I definately didn't figure the Y bone system out on my first attempt.

[phil cogley]

go to Cabela's and get some Original Shore Lunch, and use the deep fry or beer batter recipe on the back. My brother in law make a pike chowder with his or uses them for fish tacos. FEAR NO FISH!!!!

[Gone Fishin]

Now were talkin!

[Rollin with Rolland]

pike, eh?? well, i guess if you got it, you gotta cook it!! i will on occasion keep a small pike or two on camping trips, but not to often. i really can't get around those Y bones either Gone Fishin. i CANNOT fillet those little suckers for the life of me, and really need someone to show me a good technique. Pickled pike is an old time favorite of mine, but it is an acquired taste. like phil cogley said, you can't go wrong with a breaded/fried fillet. AND, i do have a killer pike chowder recipe, i'll do a little digging around and get it up ASAP. Those pike really turn to mush though after the water warms up, so watch out, only keep them if absolutely necessary. (i thought i remember you saying that's why you have some now). Never had it cajun......hmmm

[panfisher]

:thumleft:

[[[The meat itself has a pretty good flavor.]]]

i've eat'n alot of pike and i like the taste of the fish. so for me a basic egg and cracker coating deep fried/or baked has been the best way to cook this fish:thumleft:

[Gone Fishin]

Ok Panfisher, so the Y-bones? I would love to bread it and fry it but then you end up chewing on the bones all day (and they can be sharp). I have been told that they can be filleted boneless without wasting much meat. This seems to be the million dollar question. I ended up smoking some of the pike. My first attempt wasn't the best. The batch I just did though turned out GREAT! Smoked fish is easy to pick the bones out of.

[panfisher]

check these out for some bone free pike :thumright

http://www.nobonesaboutit.com/demonorthern.htp

http://www.burnettcounty.com/tourism/pike2.html

[Hal]

There are some vids on you tube on how to fillet the Y bones ot. Fyi, they are as tasty as Walleye.

[kevinb]

So I just got back from fishing the Pend Oreille River and came back with a bunch of pike meat. I cooked some up last night. I tried two different ways on the bbq and it turned out pretty good. I know it could be better! Anybody have any suggestions on cooking pike?

I've been meaning to ask but have forgotten about it.
How was it?
Cooking method?

[ProAngler'sDaughter]

Pike is delicious!

Here's one technique for ridding your Pike of the Y-bones; by doing it AFTER you cook the fish.

Check it out:

This is a method that is so simple and quick to do you'll be surprised. Learn this, and you will never have to worry about pike bones again. It is much less time consuming than doing it while cleaning northern pike while filleting . My family has used this technique for years!!!

You need to understand how a Northern Pike’s fillet is put together. Once you know this, you can get the bones out shortly after you have cooked the fillet. This is a super trick to use during a shore lunch as well as at home. All you need is a fork and even fingers will do.

Cleaning a Northern Pike is the same as cleaning a walleye. As you cut the fillets close to the back bone and “flip them back”, you will see a lateral line along the fillet. Remember that line! Make sure you remove the belly fin on each fillet. Also remove the ribs as you would do with a walleye.

Bread and season as you desire, although I've found a simple, basic recipe brings out the yummy flavor of the Pike, even egg and crackers or a beer batter works well. Cook your pike and get ready for an excellent meal.

A well-cooked fish will break away at the lateral line, easily with a fork. If the fish is undercooked, it will not break apart there as it should. Undercooked fish has a sheen on the inside skin (when trying to break it open). This fish needs to be cooked longer.


When breaking the fillet down the lateral line, you will instantly see the Y-bones. Grab them with your fork or fingers and gently pull them out. Once in awhile you'll find a stray bone lingering in your meat. Be careful, they are no fun to get caught in your throat. (Ask my brother!)

It's Finger-Lickin' Good...

Enjoy!

PAD

(Also as other posts said, U-Tube has many different examples and techniques for removing Y-bones from the Pike.)

[kevinb]

[quote="ProAngler'sDaughter"] Pike is delicious!

Here's one technique for ridding your Pike of the Y-bones]

I have often heard that pike and walleye tastes similar but pike having a slight edge over the 'eyes.

[Rollin with Rolland]

I have often heard that pike and walleye tastes similar but pike having a slight edge over the 'eyes.

Alright kb...now i know you're hitting the bottle (and it must be top shelf stuff...Patron maybe??) and maybe you should share!!

(i trust you know what the clowns mean)

Ok, pike is decent table fare, but no walleye. everybody has their own opinion, but i think walleye is say....a...9.5. Pike maybe an 8.
here is what i just said to a friend a few days ago (last saturday).

"anybody can make a good fish taste bad, but it takes a special cook to make a bad fish taste good."

I'm NOT sayin pike is bad, but it all depends on how you cook it IMO. hey a breaded fried pike is a great meal. If the two fish were cooked identically, there is definitely a difference. Depending on your palate, i guess one would be better than the other. this would be fun to try sometime......

and don't forget to pass the bottle!! :jocolor:

[kevinb]

I have often heard that pike and walleye tastes similar but pike having a slight edge over the 'eyes.

Alright kb...now i know you're hitting the bottle (and it must be top shelf stuff...Patron maybe??) and maybe you should share!!

(i trust you know what the clowns mean)

Ok, pike is decent table fare, but no walleye. everybody has their own opinion, but i think walleye is say....a...9.5. Pike maybe an 8.
here is what i just said to a friend a few days ago (last saturday).

"anybody can make a good fish taste bad, but it takes a special cook to make a bad fish taste good."

I'm NOT sayin pike is bad, but it all depends on how you cook it IMO. hey a breaded fried pike is a great meal. If the two fish were cooked identically, there is definitely a difference. Depending on your palate, i guess one would be better than the other. this would be fun to try sometime......

and don't forget to pass the bottle!! :jocolor:

I don't hit the bottle anymore,I now have an IV running through me. I had a patient once tell me"I don't drink,I absorb"
Good to know,I can't even recall where I heard this but I'll stick to the walleyes. Uugh,now I'm hungry:chef:

[Rollin with Rolland]

i'll use one of your lines..

i just pissed myself!!

LMAO, you are to funny...

[ProAngler'sDaughter]

=d> The two of you are quite humorous!

You're certainly right it's a matter of opinion and taste. Seems taste buds vary drastically from one pallette to the other. I personally prefer Pike, when it's cooked right. Walleye is fine, but has never been on the top of my list. Beer batter is the best for Pike...also, my opinion. Frankly, Channel Cat might have them both beat. Yummy!!

Have either of you (kevinb or Rolland) eaten Muskie? Tizn't bad...

PAD

[kevinb]

I'm a firm believer in the practice of C&R of muskies.But I am open minded and I suppose if I was in a location where muskies are plentiful(midwest)and it was already cooking,I'd be foolish not to try it. Is it anything like pike?Better?

[Rollin with Rolland]

[quote="ProAngler'sDaughter"] =d&gt]


No way PAD....kevinb has the reputation as one of the most humorous people around WL, anybody can sound funny as long as he is in the conversation....thanks though....

As far as muskie, no i have not tried it. #1, i have never even caught a legal muskie and #2, i'm kinda a traditionalist when it comes to that topic. Not that i'm closed minded, just the views towards muskie were instilled in me at a very young age (i'm from MN :viking: ), so that's just what i go with. I have no problem with people that do keep legal muskies, it's their right under the rules. I would imagine it must be SOMEWHAT similar to pike, eh? Like kb said, if i was in canada and somebody already had it cooked up and offered me, i would at least try it once. Plus, you can never refuse someones great hospitality.....

[racfish]

The roe is the best part of the fish.Its very strong in flavor and with a very high oil content.I've had it dried and salted as well as breaded and fried.We use to use the meat from Pike to make a dish for the sabbath and holidays called Gefilte fish.Take carp,muskie,pike and whitefish ground it up and make fish balls. With a lil horseradish as a topping its very good.This was all in the East coast.I think the muskies and pike are kept alot back there.