Crappie is sorta crappy

[guywhofishes]

I can't get over how soft and "mushy" crappie is compared to bluegill, perch, walleye. I know that crappie is very popular with some folks - but that surprises me because of their texture.

Is there a preparation technique that somehow gets past this soft texture issue?

Maybe a lime juice soak to firm them up?

 

[thriller1]

Is this a warm water/ summer thing? I catch very few crappie and its always during the winter when I do. Never noticed them to be mushy.

 

[guywhofishes]

No - even ice fishing. MN and ND.

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It’s difficult to pick up a fried crappie filet without it crumbling apart.

Maybe mushy is wrong word. Tender to the point of ridiculousness is maybe better. Ha ha.

 

[riverview]

i agree not much of a fan of crappies, have caught them on red lake and devils lake. last winter i threw all the crappie back i caught.

 

[guywhofishes]

They’re awfully fun to fish for and I’ve got them figured out pretty well. It’s tragic that they’re not better fare.

 

[bucksnbears]

I scale my crappies.
Like em much better then walleye.

 

[Kurtr]

Nice and firm coming out of oahe down here

 

[Sluggo]

Thicker badder, leave in hot grease longer....they'll come out firm as boards.

 

[shorthairman]

I catch quite a few crappie and have ate them at all times of the year. I think they taste just fine, and they are one of the 4 species of fish that I prefer to eat. They do seem to get a lot flakier (fall apart) after frying than other fish, maybe because they have larger flakes in their flesh or not as dense?? I agree with Sluggo, a little longer in the frying pan.

 

[guywhofishes]

They always taste fine - they're just very tender - to the point of mashed potatoes at times.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I much prefer crappie over bluegills, for taste and texture. I've found if any fish gets mushy, it's usually because you're either: A) frying in too low of oil temp; or B) not frying long enough.

 

[sl1000794]

I brine all my freshwater fish in a weak salt and lemon juice brine. 2 quarts of water with a teaspoon of table salt and the juice of half a lemon. Brine at least 2 hours to overnight in a ziplock bag in the fridge, turning over a couple times to ensure total exposure to the brine. I find that the brine and cold water firm up the flesh and remove any off taste the fish might have due to the warmer water temps during the summer.

 

[Maddog]

I know it is going against the grain.

But instead of filetting them, just scale them and remove the fins/head.
(Keep whole).
Fry in a pan with some butter and lightly pepper.

The meat peals off the bones nicely and it stays together a lot better than when you filet them.

Mushy be gone

My 2 cents worth.

 

[guywhofishes]

I do occasionally prep whole fish "Caribbean" style and agree, they're fantastic whole

picking meat off the bone is old school fun and delicious

never thought of attempting with crappie

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and we "brine" our fish in lime juice for fish tacos - I'll try lime juicing some crappie

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I much prefer crappie over bluegills, for taste and texture.

Gaaaaa!!!!! BG are my fav's.

 

[Duckslayer100]

Gaaaaa!!!!! BG are my fav's.

I'll trade you gills for crappies, straight up!

 

[guywhofishes]

I'll trade you gills for crappies, straight up!

lb for lb you got a deal - ha ha

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(and no pepper/worms - hee hee)

crappie are miraculously immune to those - like walleyes

 

[LBrandt]

We take our smaller crappies and scale them, lop off the head, take an old tooth brush to the inside rib cage and then I have a heavy duty sissors and clip off all fins and tails. Cast iron pan with olive oil and butter. Salt and pepper. The back opens up where you have cut off top fins and you just peal the meat away. I dont mind old school and pick around some bones, just wonderful .We do some gills the same way. LB

 

[zoops]

Uncle used to scale & fillet at our cabin. Makes a mess though and the jackwagon wasn't very good at cleaning up. Ate a lot of crappie as a kid through age 20 or so, can't remember thinking it was mushy. Do remember my dad being a stickler about keeping them on ice for that reason though.

 

[guywhofishes]

soft and fine textured is maybe a better description

 

[Rut2much]

Ice, ice, and more cold watered ice is your huckleberry. Shock em' with ice all day long..