Meuniere-Style
Walleye Pike Recipe (Lemon Butter Sauce with Capers)
It has always been amazing to me that the most
excellent tasting dishes are often the simplest to prepare. The recipe
here for walleye done meuniere style is one I learned a long time ago.
Although fairly simple, it is intimidating to most due to the flaming of
the fish. However, the flames can in fact be avoided if need be (either
don't cook on a gas flame or just don't ignite the alcohol with a match-
simply add the alcohol and let it steam away). The main thing to remember
is that the dish is incredibly easy to prepare - even while on vacation in
the north woods - but the flavor is exquisite and will impress anyone who
tastes it. It was inspired by one of my favorite chefs:
Note: Make sure to disconnect smoke detector before
flaming the alcohol! The flame can be large but will not be "out of
control." You may want to practice first...
Ingredients:
1 Fresh Walleye Pike, filleted
(any size, but a 14 -16 inch
fish - before filleting - is perfect)
Approx 2-3 oz of 50/50 mixture of vermouth and brandy
2 Tablespoons of capers
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Soak fillets in egg &
milk mixture, then coat the fillets with flour/bread crumb mixture. Heat
an iron skillet or heavy aluminum pan and add about a capful of olive oil
and the clarified butter.
Place the fillets in the pan rib cage-side down
and sauté on high heat for two - three minutes or until the fish is
browned.
Turn fish over and pour in vermouth/brandy mixture. Tilt pan
and allow alcohol mixture to ignite in order to burn off the alcohol
(Alternately, use a long-reach butane lighter if cooking on an electric
stove). CAUTION - this will create a large flare-up... but it will die
down quickly.
After flame begins to die out, squeeze lemon over fish and
add capers. Have warm plates ready and serve immediately. The fillets
will be moist and tender and the capers and lemon will compliment each
other very well. There will also be a very tasty sauce that should be
spooned over the fish - it is excellent!. Serve with wild rice, garlic
mashed or baked potato and
white wine.
You'll be amazed at how flaky, tender and tasty this fish can be!
Clarified Butter is really nothing more
than the oil taken from butter once it has been melted. Take about 1/3 to
1/2 of a stick of butter and melt it in a sauce pan over very low heat -
this should easily give you 3 tablespoons worth. Skim the "scum" away
from the surface and take the oil beneath. On the very bottom is the whey
and water that is to be avoided. This oil still has all the wonderful
butter flavor but will not burn until it reaches a much higher temperature
than "normal" butter.
Not sure how to fillet a walleye?
Click here
for R. Karl's step-by-step instructions.
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