Fillets with skin on one side

[manofmany]

Went to the local bait shop which sells thing such as rabbit, frog legs, bluegill fillets, etc. They fillets they had still had the skin on one side. When I fillet crappie I usually just keep the meat.

Do sunfish taste better with skin still on? Whats the best way to cook these up with the skin still on one side?

/newbie

[Dutch552]

I've started grilling some of my larger crappie and bass with the scales left on and then place the skin side down on the grill. Seems to hold together better and stays moister because the skin acts like a cup that holds the juices in. I still skin out my bluegill and average size crappie fillets as usual.

[T.C.]

Try this. Get a cast iron skillet. Put enough pnut oil in so that when you set the fillets in the oil comes up to about halfway of the fillets. Cook a few mins then flip. By doing this, you keep the fillets in contact with the bottom of the skillet which makes the fillets more crispy. If you just fill up a fry daddy or pot of grease and dunk the fish in, they dont get as crispy because they are not in contact with the bottom. I use Zatarans cajun fish fry breading. Before i put the fish breading on em I dip them in egg wash, whick is just 2 eggs and a cup of milk. So all ya gotta do is dip em in the egg wash, then dregde in fish breading, then fry one side at a time. If you want em extra crispy all you gotta do is dip them in the egg wash again and gredge again. Im gonna try the way Dutch said next time i grill some.

[Fatman]

Don't know if this applies to your state or not but I remember reading some old articles where they had to leave skin on one side or a strip of the skin so the fillets could be identified if you were checked.

Fatman

[gabowman]

Sometimes when wanting some fish to eat off the bone I will go ahead and pull all my fish in a rocket fish cleaner behind the boat and fillet out the few larger fish I keep for the wife and daughter. When the scales have been removed first it makes filleting the skin side much more difficult so I usually just leave the skin on those fillets. I think they are every bit as good with the skin on but if I'm filleting my catch the skin comes off with the scales. We batter and fry the fillets with skin on as we do any other piece of fish.

[T.C.]

whats a rocket fish cleaner? where do you get em?

[gabowman]

whats a rocket fish cleaner? where do you get em?

Used to sell on Ebay but dont have em listed right now. Just have to do a search if interested.

[Gansett]

A close friend of mine is unable to go fishing any more; but, when we fished together he always scaled his crappie and left the skin on when frying in a shallow pan. Now when I filet my fish I do some for him. I write on my zip-lock bags "NBC" (Nothing But Crappie) and his say "CWS" (Crappie With Skin). We still have almost as much fun talking about fishing as when we fished, especially when we have our fish fries. Thanks for bringing this subject up.

[carter]

Don't they taste a little fisher with better with the fish on?
Carter

[thudpucker]

Yup, always good to leave a little fish on the skin

My Louisiana Wife just whips the Scales off with a spoon and in the pot they go. I love em that way.