Wonderful Walleye: Prized around the world!

Friday, August 27th, 2010 | posted by mike

Walleye is the largest member of the perch family with an average size of 1–4 lbs. The hook and line world-record was a 41 inch 25 lb fish caught i 1960 in Old Hickory Lake in Tennessee, but we usually don’t see them so big.

The walleye isn’t the prettiest of freshwater fish—green and yellow with those weird cloudy eyes. Their big opaque, dull eyes are due to a light reflecting layer called a “tapetun lucidum” that helps with nightime vision. However, for what this fish lacks in beauty it more than makes up for it in flavor. Walleye is truly one of the finest food fish in the world. Its close cousin, the Zander (or Pike Perch) is loved over most of Europe. Its firm, white, delicate sweetness is extremely flavorful and versatile…walleye can be prepared in almost any method. Our favorites are a simple sauté pan fry, bake or steam (our Chinese customers love this fish because its sweetness and firm texture are perfect for steaming the whole fish). We also coat fillets with nuts or seasoned bread crumbs for pan frying or baking.

Walleye was my dad’s all-time favorite fish. He loved them just simply broiled with olive oil, salt and pepper.

We are fortunate to be so close to the world’s largest walleye fishery: Lake Erie! If we are lucky enough to have a mild winter, we will see walleye year-round. However, when the winters are rough Canadian walleye are usually around. They fish for them through the ice up in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

There was about a month this summer when brutal heat closed fishing down, but we’re now seeing walleye again and plan to have them in for your dining enjoyment this weekend. You would think that such a plentiful fish would be inexpensive (I WISH!) Because of the huge demand, this fish is not cheap and has always been at the higher end of the scale…ever notice the price of walleye at fancier restaurants? Whoa!

However, for about $7–10 per portion, we offer you the finest freshwater fish you’ll ever taste. And here’s a couple great recipes.

Almond-Cracker Walleye

Steamed Whole Walleye

p.s. We sell the almond cracker coating to save you a little time. Enjoy!

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Say YES! to Lake Trout

Friday, August 20th, 2010 | posted by mike

Another great Michigan fish is Lake Trout. These long-living (at least 40 years) fish are the largest member of the Char family and a good gamefish that can grow to huge sizes (record: 120 lb in 1818 from the Great Lakes) and they like cold water—around 50° or less is their comfort zone.

Lake Trout have a high fat content and to me, that’s a good trait. For years I have heard negative comments from sports fishermen and charter captains about what they call “dark, greasy, strong-tasting, undesirable” fish like Lake Trout, Bluefish, Mackerel and Kingfish. But if it’s cooked properly, all these fish have lots of character and great flavor. It’s funny that fish like Chilean Bass, Sablefish and Arctic Char are high-priced fish that are prized for their rich and buttery texture but an inexpensive Lake Trout (from the Char family) can be called “greasy” by some people. Lake Trout is one of the tastiest (and least expensive) fish in our case. We buy fish that run about 2–4 lbs from Lake Superior and Huron. These smaller trout are leaner than the giants, but still have plenty of fat and flavor.

Because of the richness of this fish, I think the best methods of preparation are grilling or broiling, but we’ve tried sautéeing (almondine), baking and poaching (served with a yogurt cucumber sauce). Our web-master, Wendy, roasted a whole Lake Trout in kosher salt recently (see a video featuring this recipe with a Bluefish here) and she said it was even better than the Lake Superior Whitefish that she prepared in the same style. She just peeled back the skin and the fillets came right off the bone.

For those of you who have concerns regarding toxins that store in the fat of these types of fish, I’d say that an occasional meal of these smaller Lake Trout shouldn’t be a worry. The healthful benefits will still outweigh the minute risk factors and unless you are pregnant or nursing and want to be SUPER safe, enjoy this rich, delicious and sustainable Michigan fish.

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The First Fish

Thursday, August 12th, 2010 | posted by mike

Carson Monahan with his first string of perch.

Most all of us who love fishing will never forget their first fish. Here in Michigan your first fish was likely to be a bluegill, maybe a crappie, bullhead or rock bass. If you were really lucky, it was a perch! You may have been amazed at the pretty yellow fish with the vertical stripes and orange fins flopping on the end of your hook.

When you’re a kid and you’ve just caught your first fish, primal instincts click in. Anticipation, excitement, fear…but they all give way to the natural desire to hunt and eat! I’ve seen it time and again. Kids do not believe in catch and release, they all want to eat their catch—and there’s no better catch to eat than lake perch!

Perch are smaller cousins of the walleye (another top Michigan food fish) and there’s a reason why perch are in such high demand—they are delicious! White, delicate and sweet…so good that just the name “perch” is copied as a market name for other (and lesser) species such as “Ocean Perch” (really a North Atlantic Redfish) “White Perch” (a freshwater bass) or “Surf Perch” (small Pacific members of the Embiotocidae family). None of them can even touch our own premier panfish, the Lake Perch.

So if you happen to be one of those poor kids who has never experienced the joy of catching a perch, come on by the market for free fishing advice—there are thousands of perch within 20 miles of Ann Arbor! Or just pick some out of our case for dinner or we’ll cook ‘em up for your lunch for a true taste of Michigan.

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Summer in Michigan is peaking, and so is Lake Superior Whitefish!

Friday, August 6th, 2010 | posted by mike

August is Michigan month at Monahan’s! We’re celebrating all of our amazing, delicious local fish and tying in with other Michigan foods and products. This week’s report stars the Great Lakes Whitefish. Of all the fish that we offer from the lakes the whitefish is the unsung hero. A salmon relative, these guys look like giant herring and aren’t the most beautiful of fish, but the flesh is delicate and delicious.

Whitefish are a wonderful and under appreciated  fish, it’s so common here that people take the poor things for granted. For me, this fish fits the bill for everything you’d want for your dinner. It has a long Michigan history, supporting many fisherman, fishing communities and Native American way of life. It’s a local sustainable fish that has made a great comeback and is caught in great numbers. It’s super versatile and can be quickly and easily prepared in almost any method from broiling to baking, encrusted with nuts, coating with potatoes, planking, blackening, and more. Because of the abundance, it’s one of the most inexpensive fish that we offer. Monahan’s sources whitefish mainly from Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Caught in trap nets and scaled, filleted, and pin-boned by hand in our store. This is the moment! Michigan corn, local tomatoes with fresh basil & balsamic vinegar, and a scrumptious, simply broiled Lake Michigan whitefish. The crickets, cicadas , and tree frogs are chirpin’… oh yes it’s August In Michigan!

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