Found a better batter

[Roberta]

Every once in a while we get to taking about cooking crappie here, so I thought I'd let you know that we tried a different brand of batter mix yesterday with great results.
We had been using Drakes when we wanted batter dipped fish, but tried Golden Dipt Beer Batter last night.
First, I sliced up a big vidalia onion and fried it, then our crappie filets. The batter was thicker than Drakes and fried up a nice golden brown even with fresh oil. The onion rings imparted a slight onion flavor to the batter and grease that the fish picked up. Delicious!

Only down side was that I used filets from the freezer since fishing has been so slow the last three times we've been out. Rain, debris, cold fronts, NE winds, you name it. We're ready for some settled weather for a change. - Roberta

[big "E"]

Is that a wal mart brand?If not , where did you get it.?Im unhappy with the brand Ive used the last couple of times.They all seem to be too spicy.I like spicy stuff but this batter is too hot for my children to eat, and will bring tears to your eyes. Eric.

[Roberta]

Golden Dipt is owned by McCormick now, so it's available to consumers through local grocery chains. I bought ours at Marsh Stores, but you can probably get it (or ask the store manager to order it) anyplace that sells McCormick spices and mixes. Golden Dipt sells a pretty good hushpuppy mix, too. - Roberta

[big "E"]

Mccormicks is what Im using now.You dont think it was too spicy?Obviously not huh?Did you dilute it with plain flour or just straight up?The stuff I had was hotter than bojangles chicken.

[Roberta]

This box has the "Golden Dipt" name and logo on it. Golden Dipt has several breading mixes, including spicy ones. The one I used is labled "beer batter" and is very similar to what you might get at a franchise seafood place.
I like spicy sometimes, but too often, it can kill the taste of the food. My other half adds cajun spices to everything but his cereal. ;-)

If you can't find this brand, try Drakes. It has no spice and will keep the little ones happy. - Roberta

[Cane Pole]

Roberta,

Do they sell it at Wal Mart? I like trying different things for my wife to fix...Ha...My favoirte is fillets (small pieces up to 2 in.) basted in mustard...
try this...
2 parts meal
1 part flower
place in brown bag
take mustard basted fillets and put in bag, then shake
deep fry
yum....yum...

Cane Pole

[big "E"]

Thanks Roberta, Ill look for the beer batter kind.And if not Ill try the drakes.My kids love fish , but that stuff will set you on fire.Eric.

[CrappiePappy]

I grew up in a "fishing" family - my grandparents loved fried Crappie ! I learned early on, how to "clean" fish - (scaling, gutting, cutting off the head) - and how to "eat" fish, without getting a mouth full of bones. Those fish were covered in regular yellow corn meal ... and the skin added a "nutty" taste to the sweet taste of the meat. Once I learned how to "filet" fish - the "bone" problem was eliminated ... but so was some of the taste. The fish filet meat would absorb the flavor of the coating and/or grease, and the sweet taste of the fish was lost in the various "flavors" of the coatings. I've never really cared for "batter" coated fish ... preferring "meal" coatings. I've tried several different ones ... ending up with one that I find to be flavorful, but not overpowering - Southern Star Fish Fry Seasoning, by Alferi. For those that find it a bit "spicy" ... I suggest a 50/50 mixing with yellow corn meal.
I know that the "crappie eating afficionados" of the Crappie.com Tournaments have been treated to several different brands of "coatings" ... and I think the Southern Star has made many "converts". That's not to say that the other coatings were not good ... just that the general concensus leaned towards the Southern Star (with many people asking for it to be used again, buying it/requesting it for "personal" use, and many positive comments on its flavor). ..............cp

[Roberta]

I just like to fix fish different ways. Sometimes a good old corn meal dredge is just the ticket (I like to mix the meal with corn flour) and then there's the oven-fried cheese cracker breading. Trout are always drenched in evaporated milk, dredged in a flour/corn starch mix and fried with almonds. I guess that would work with panfish, too. I'll have to try it.

I went back to leaving the skin on my crappie, though I do filet them to keep hubby happy. The meat holds up better and has a better taste, IMO. - Roberta

[Billy McKnett]

Boy, this is very good reading. I am new to this page,but I can tell i,m going
to enjoy it. You people talk my kind of talk.

Billy McKnett