DIY- Whole Fried Fish Recipe

DIY Seafood - Whole Fried Fish Recipe

By: Benjamin Chewning

DIY Seafood -

Whole Fried Fish Recipe

If you love the water, I’m guessing chances are you love

to eat seafood. And, if I am wrong in this assumption, please give me a call. If, it’s not an allergy or something medical, I’d like to hear someone tell me they just don’t like the taste of seafood but, they love being on the water. I would definitely see this as being a low percentage of folks who love the water. So, if you don’t love seafood, continue on to the next page or give me that call. If, you do love seafood, please read below because this whole fried fish recipe is easy and will work on almost any fish you can drop in the oil. My friend Shawn May was out spearfishing and lobstering and had the good fortune to be able to pick up a few nice bugs as well as shoot the 6 pound or so Hogfish seen

in these photos, while drift diving off of Palm Beach. He showed up to church with this beautiful fish on ice directly after his dive and after service gave it to my wife and I as a gift. This is a gift of which we were very grateful, given the tastiness of the delicious species. And, the timing was perfect because our Goddaughter’s birthday party was happening in the coming days. I will skip past the recipe for a moment and say that the fish did not seem to disappoint anyone, to my knowledge, as there was nothing left but a Hogfish carcass that looked like it had been picked over by some junkyard cats. The recipe is simple. But, how you get the fish may not be. Whether you buy the fish, shoot the fish, or catch it on hook and line, this simple recipe is sure to work out. Have fun cooking!

16 BETTER OFF WET | SEPTEMBER 2022

DIY Seafood - Whole Fried Fish Recipe

1. Get a fish. 2. Gut the fish. 3. De-scale the fish. 4. Rinse fish thoroughly with fresh water and pat dry with paper towel.

5. Trim the fins and tail, as needed, to aid in frying.

6. Make deep slits in both sides of the fish.

7. Rub in your favorite seasoning into the slits (I use ½ mix of Badia All Purpose seasoning and ½ Redfish Magic seasoning, a few tablespoons of each). Be sure to pack the seasoning into the slits well.

8. Cover the fish in a fish fry batter (packaged or homemade).

9. Cook, covered in oil, heated to 375 degrees.

*We used a Turkey fryer for this fish, because of its size and cooked the Hogfish for right at 10 minutes. Smaller fish will cook in just a few minutes. Be sure to pay attention to the meat, particularly looking into the deep slits to see if the meat is whitening up. If, cooking in a pan, a couple minutes per side of the fish should do. This is a super simple recipe that will not fail the seafood lover in your life. Have fun out there and enjoy cooking your catch or someone else’s!

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