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Best Walleye recipe ever?????

If you know most of us Clemons boys, you know that other than water, we also love to EAT! In past years our sales staff was know as the largest sales staff in Ohio, and not in numbers! :) Another thing we love to do is fish, so if you put these two together you could easily figure out that we may know a thing or two about cooking fish.
The recipe I am about to share has been raved about every time it has been eaten! We made it at our last Boston Whaler Rondevous, and people could not stop talking about it. I am a little reluctant to share this recipe since it is pretty famous, but you stumbled upon this blog in a personal moment of weakness. I am sitting at a show, it is slow, I haven’t eaten today, and I needed a blog idea! My father John Clemons takes credit for this recipe, as all I have ever done is duplicate it. This can be used with any “whitefish”, but I strongly suggest fresh Walleye, the fresher the better!
First part of the recipe is of course the fish. A Walleye of about 20″ is the perfect specimen for this because it not only taste better but is thin enough to cook properly. If you have that hog 12lber that you decided not to mount, just make sure and make the fillet about half the thickness..approximately 1/2″-3/4″ thick. I’ve use Tilapia, Yellow Perch, and Smallmouth Bass for this as well, but Walleye is by far superior.
The next thing you are going to need is an electric skillet. I have used it all, but to do this the easiest, an electric skillet is the most effective way. Make sure you buy one that can be dedicated to blackened fish, because after a batch of this it isn’t good for much else! The key to this is to get the skillet piping hot, if you think it is hot enough, wait a minute till it is hotter! You should be able to flick a bit of butter on it and watch it bubble and go crazy. The skillet I use is 450 degrees max, and I leave it on the highest setting until it is smoking slightly.
CAUTION! Do this in a well ventilated area because this will create smoke! Wherever you cook this will smell like blackened fish for a few days, so be prepared. But, it smells delish!
Now that we have those bases covered, here are the ingredients you will need:
1- Walleye fillets or other Whitefish
2- Cajunland Blackened Redfish Seasoning – http://www.cajunlandbrand.com/blackenedredfishseasoning.htm
3- Butter – do yourself a favor and use Kerrygold grassfed unsalted butter, much healthier
4- Oh the beauty of this recipe, there is no four!
So you have your fish, your skillet is piping hot, now what? Take enough butter to coat your fish and melt it in a bowl of your choice. Take a dab and flick it on your skillet to make sure it is PIPING HOT! Take your fish and roll it in the butter to coat it well. Layer one side of the fish with the blackened seasoning and lay the fillet in the skillet seasoned side down. Now, you coat the topside with seasoning. How much seasoning will depend on your taste buds but I like it covered but not thick. This can be spicy to keep that in mind.
You now watch the fillet and do not flip it until you can see it is cooked half way through! This is why the size of the fillet is so important. When you see it reach the half way point, flip it over with a spatula. You should see a very nice, crispy, blacked fillet on the topside. The next key to this process is knowing when it is done! What you want to do is take a fork and “poke” the fish when you think it is close. If the fork sticks at all, it isn’t done. The fork should slide out with almost zero resistance. When this happens, take it out and EAT IT IMMEDIATELY! This is best served fresh out of the skillet in a buffet style setting. It is so good that the side dishes almost do not matter but I personally love buttered bread with it. It helps with the heat element and goes well with blackened fish…plus it soaks up the juices off the plate well which is also amazing.
So, the key points are:
*Fresh whitefish, preferably Walleye
*Cajunland blackened redfish seasoning
*Thinner fillets about 1/2-3/4″ thick
*Piping hot skillet
*Flip only once
*When a fork slides right out, it is DONE.
Please give this a try and post in the comments how you enjoyed it! If you are reading this and have already indulged in this a time or two, let everyone know how amazing it is! This is the only way I eat Walleye anymore, and I am guessing it may be yours too after you try it! Happy eating!
blacklened walleye
See you on the water,

Jason Clemons

Clemons Boats – Life is better on a boat!
M-419-357-7042
F-419-684-5755
jasonc@clemonsboats.com
Clemonsboats.com