Pike
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This is going back many, many moons but as a boy my father used to take me salmon 'tickling' at various locations around scotland, and in the evening at camp clean the fish, press the fillets together flesh to flesh, wrap it in sheets of newpsaper one sheet at a time to make one thick 'parcel'... wet it in the river and then burry the parcel in the coals of a died down fire for half an hour or so. if it was a big salmon, maybe an hour.
an alternative if the newspaper had been used for other things would be to get a roaring fire going, surrounded by flat rocks and as it died down, small fillets or 'darnes' where placed skin side down on the hot rocks.
when the flesh flakes with the tip of a kinfe its done, and tasted superb
a drop of spit on a rock somewhere will show you if its hot enough to cook on.
maybe a bit old skool, but i can still taste it now thinking back. watch out for the bones in pike, not tried it myself but been warned.
TBL.
an alternative if the newspaper had been used for other things would be to get a roaring fire going, surrounded by flat rocks and as it died down, small fillets or 'darnes' where placed skin side down on the hot rocks.
when the flesh flakes with the tip of a kinfe its done, and tasted superb
a drop of spit on a rock somewhere will show you if its hot enough to cook on.maybe a bit old skool, but i can still taste it now thinking back. watch out for the bones in pike, not tried it myself but been warned.
TBL.
Most of the pike I've eaten were from the rivers of the Fens, so were quite 'muddy' in flavour. In order to combat this, we used to gut them, and place them in an old tin bath of salted water for 24 hours and then cook them either in tinfoil or bake them as steaks. Pike between 2lb and 10lb were the best 'eaters' anything over that was deemed by the local fishmonger (to whom we used to sell quite a few of our catch) to be too old for eating.
Pike are inherently bony, which is probably why they are not found on the average fishmonger's slab here in the UK, but they are reasonably popular on the continent. As far as I am aware, there is no easy way to fillet them
A quick search on the net revealed this interesting recipe;
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipe..._wild_mushroom_sauce_recipe_07_10_04_p_1.html
Which sounds like it could be right up your street!
Pike are inherently bony, which is probably why they are not found on the average fishmonger's slab here in the UK, but they are reasonably popular on the continent. As far as I am aware, there is no easy way to fillet them
A quick search on the net revealed this interesting recipe;
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipe..._wild_mushroom_sauce_recipe_07_10_04_p_1.html
Which sounds like it could be right up your street!
I've had pike a few times... the flavour is fine, but I've yet to see a completely fool proof bone removal technique. Lets face it, Hugh Fluffystockingtops poached one, flaked it and minced the flesh through a sieve for one of the episodes of River Cottage and STILL found a bone in it!
I think the trick with pike is more accepting there will be bones rather than trying to remove them all.
I think the trick with pike is more accepting there will be bones rather than trying to remove them all.
not sure about deboning the pike fillets but the wild guormets do a receipe for pike not tried it yet but have tried quite a few of there other receipes of theirs and they are pretty good so worth a look
I have still not mastered deboning pike. It is a pity as they do taste good - at least here in Scotland.
The 'Northern Pike' of North America is the same beastie. They are regularly eaten over there. I am sure some US/Canadian outdoorsmen have the knack of doing it.
The 'Northern Pike' of North America is the same beastie. They are regularly eaten over there. I am sure some US/Canadian outdoorsmen have the knack of doing it.
All you need to do is gut it,put some butter and lemon all over,wrap in foil and onto the fire..lovely.
That's how I had my first Pike last year,didn't realise how good they were,certainly not muddy tasted or as bony as i'd been led to believe.
That's how I had my first Pike last year,didn't realise how good they were,certainly not muddy tasted or as bony as i'd been led to believe.
Pike have a lateral line connected to their swim blader with fine bones, viewed in a cross section of a pike fillet its like a chicken Y bone, there are piles of videos on you tube showing you how to fillet them out, all american/canadian, look for either pike filleting or shore lunch will find one.
Pike are a very delicate fish, in their aquatic environment, so please ensure the water you are taking them from will sustain the removal. I would also advise taking smaller ones (under 5lb)as if a dyed in the wool pike angler catches you frying a specimen you will likley get lynched as they are a very passionate bunch (myself included) about catch and release.
I always advise using a wire trace, there is no point getting your spinner bitten off and leaving the pike to dye somewhere a slow starving death, at least if you use a trace you can enjoy the fun of the fishing without worrying about being bitten off!!!
I ate them along with walleye in a shore lunch on a fly out trip in canada, but dont tell my fishing buddies or i'l get lynched :-D
Pike are a very delicate fish, in their aquatic environment, so please ensure the water you are taking them from will sustain the removal. I would also advise taking smaller ones (under 5lb)as if a dyed in the wool pike angler catches you frying a specimen you will likley get lynched as they are a very passionate bunch (myself included) about catch and release.
I always advise using a wire trace, there is no point getting your spinner bitten off and leaving the pike to dye somewhere a slow starving death, at least if you use a trace you can enjoy the fun of the fishing without worrying about being bitten off!!!
I ate them along with walleye in a shore lunch on a fly out trip in canada, but dont tell my fishing buddies or i'l get lynched :-D
