Blog Post

Lake Erie Walleye is one of the best tasting freshwater fish around. One question we often get asked during Lake Erie Walleye charters is, what is your favorite way to cook Walleye? The answer is my entire family’s favorite is fresh fried Walleye, but we also grill our Lake Erie Walleye from time to time as well for a change of pace. I have been told many times by friends and family that the fish I fry is the best Walleye they have ever had. So how do we do it? I am a firm believer that how you care for your catch post cleaning is as important as anything. See the previous blog post “What to do with all this Walleye?” for detailed instructions on preserving your fish. If you did not take the time to shave the dark red meat off the back of the fillets and zipper them, then doing that before you begin any additional prep is a must. I then chunk my fillets into roughly 2 inch cubes. Breading is key! We use Golden Dipt from Gordon Food Services, which is the same as their All Purpose Breading. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dip the chunks into an egg wash (2 eggs and a splash of milk) then straight into the breading. Be sure to coat the entire chunk of meat. Drop it into 350 degree oil and fry until golden brown on the outside. I do find that using a dedicated propane fish fryer holds the oil temperature better and produces tastier fish then stove top or electric deep fryers. If we want a change of pace and choose to grill our fish we first add lemon juice and pepper to the fillet. Then put a good coating of olive oil on the outside of the filet and on a preheated grate on the grill. The coating of oil is key to keeping the fillet from sticking. It then is just a matter of grilling on medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side or until the fish is flakey white. Try to only flip the fillet one time as it will begin to fall apart. Enjoy the delicious fish and the memories you have from your Lake Erie fishing experience. And of course, you can't forget to tell everyone how the big fish were the ones you caught and any small fillets that end up in the mix were caught by your buddy who isn't there to defend themselves.