I would like to try some pickled panfish. anyone have a recipe to share? Thanks Doug
Recipies & Cooking
pickled panfish recipe
This one works:
People pee their pants when they try this.
Remember to freeze fish before pickling.
It will take about 3-4 pounds of filleted fish for this batch. Increase as needed. Fillet fish and cut in chunks.
Onions diced large.
For the Brine:
1 1/4 cups white vinegar
6 cups water
One cup pickling salt (brine should float an egg)
For the Syrup:
“It is good enough to drink”
2cups white vinegar
1 cup White Port wine
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon pickling spice
Soak fillets in brine for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, rinse fillets well under cold water.
Put syrup ingredients in pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to avoid burning the sugar. Let the syrup cool. (Place the pan in ice water to speed this process.)
Layer fish and onions loosely in large jars leaving a little head space. (I use 1 qt. wide mouth jars.)
Fill jars with syrup and let stand 10-14 days. This makes about two quarts.
I use red Port wine. Fillets turn a nice magenta color.
Enjoy!! Change your pants
db3lines, in my recipe in place of the wine you can substitute 3/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup water for the cup of wine. As far as the wine I add to the cooled brine just eliminate it and make enough brine for the quantity of fish you have. I began using the added wine to the cooled brine one time when my brine was not going to be enough to cover the fish I had. After adding the wine to extend the brine I noticed it did enhance the flavor some.
Here's the recipe I've been using for about two years now.
I do not rinse the fish after the salt brine soak. I do drain them well in a strainer type bowl. I have seen other recipes where the fish are rinsed in cold water after the salt brine soak. I think the salt is all dissolved in the brine and then soaks into the fish with little to no salt on the surface to be rinsed off. The salt brine will leech out any blood in the fish as well as break down any slime if you have the skin on the fish. Rinsing could help get rid of that if it is present.
Fillet fish and skin, remove the mudline, any fat from the meat and cut into bite size pieces. Mix 3 cups water to 1/2 cup pickling salt, place fish in the salt brine, refrigerate for 48 hours stirring a few times. Drain fish and cover with white vinegar, refrigerate for 48 hours stirring a few times. Prepare a brine using 1 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup White Port wine and one tablespoon pickling spice. Simmer brine for 20 minutes and cool. Once brine is cool I add one cup wine, for each cup of wine in the brine recipe, to the cooled brine. Remove fish from the vinegar and place in a jar with layers of onion. Cover with brine. Age in the fridge for 7 - 10 days and enjoy. Fish will keep for several months in the fridge. I have done whitefish, walleye, northern and white bass with this recipe with good results. A friend uses this recipe and adds diced halepenos to the jar along with the onion. Cold water fish are better for pickling. Any bones in the fish will dissolve before eating. When I do 10 whitefish for pickling I need to use 5 times brine mix ratio to get enough to cover the fish. I get Fairbank White Port wine in the 1.5 L bottle. When mixing the salt and water for the salt brine be sure to make plenty to cover the fish well.