Fried walleye

It is not quite fishing season here in the land of 10,000 lakes, but it is on the horizon! One of the tastiest and most common types of fish to eat in Minnesota is walleye, our state fish. Like any fish, it can be prepared in a number of ways, but fried walleye is a must-eat for anybody visiting the state, or wanting a ittle taste of Minnesota. 

I have family members in the northern part of the state who catch and prepare a lot of their own walleye in the summer, so I knew just where to go for tips and a recipe. The end result was fantastic prepared in my own little kitchen.

In one small bowl, place 1 sleeve of finely crushed Ritz crackers.

In another small bowl, beat 2 eggs with a fork.

In a large skillet, heat 2 cups (give or take) of canola oil over medium-high heat. You will want at least a half inch of oil in the bottom of the skillet. You will want the oil to be very hot. Hot and quick is the key to getting a good result.

Cut four defrosted 8-ounce walleye fillets into 2x2-inch squares. Roll the pieces of fish in the beaten egg and then the cracker crumbs, completely coating them.

In batches, quickly place the coated fish pieces into the skillet with the hot oil. This goes really quick, and you will want to make sure not to burn the fish. Let the fish cook in the oil for approximately 15-20 seconds, or until the under side is crispy but not black. Using a slotted metal spoon, flip the fish pieces over and cook for another 15 seconds. 

Remove the walleye chunks from the oil and place them onto paper towels. Pat well with more paper towels to eliminate excess grease.

Squirt a little bit of fresh lemon juice over the fish and serve! 

Printable recipe: Fried walleye

Minty green olive-celery salsa

This is Week #35 of my 2011 cooking challenge! Click on the above graphic to view all P&TC recipes. All recipes created for this challenge come from the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2010: An Entire Year of Recipes.

I am weeks behind in my cooking challenge, so please forgive me. I'm attempting to catch up this week, amidst the craziness. My oldest munchkin started his second year of preschool yesterday! He is such a big boy, and he is so happy to be back with his "fwends" and teachers. Time continues to fly by us, and life seems to get crazier all the time. Is it just me?

Due to said craziness, I have been loving easy recipes. This recipe was easy, quick and ridiculously tasty. I love that it is considered a "salsa." I also used it as a topping and a side dish. And thankfully, my husband has an aversion to olives, so I had it all to myself! Perfect!

In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 2 lightly smashed and peeled garlic cloves and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 2 minutes.

Let the oil cool, then discard the garlic cloves.

Transfer the garlicky oil to a medium bowl, along with:

1 cup finely diced celery (3 ribs)

1 cup finely chopped pitted green olives (5 ounces)

2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped mint

Freshly ground pepper

Toss and serve! It tasted amazing atop tilapia fillets. It was great with crackers, as well, but I ate most of it by spoon. 

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable recipe!