2393. BACON HONEY WALLEYE

makes eight servings


16 bacon strips, partially cooked
4 walleye fillets (2-1/2 pounds)
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Fold four 18-in. x 15-in. pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil in half; fold up edges to make pans about 12 in. x 7 in. Place four strips of bacon in each foil pan; top each with a fillet and 1/4 cup onion. Drizzle with butter and honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Cut fillets in half; serve each with two bacon strips. Yield: 8 servings.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Taste of Home, June/July 2006, page 61

1627. BACON-WRAPPED WALLEYE in BARBECUE SAUCE

5 lb. walleye fillets, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb. of bacon strips cut in half
barbecue sauce

Wrap bacon strips around walleye cubes. Thread onto shish kebab skewers so bacon doesn't unravel. Repeat until skewers are snug and full. Cook on shish kebab rack on medium heat in barbecue; turn continually. When bacon begins to get crisp, pour barbecue sauce on wraps. Continue turning periodically until fish is white and bacon is crisp.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Wild Game Recipes

1283. WALLEYE CHEEK CHOWDER with BACON

1/2 cup chopped onions
2 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots - thin
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 slices bacon
1 lb of walleye cheeks (cut smaller if desired)

Fry bacon & keep drippings. Cook potatoes, carrots & celery in 2-3 cups of water until almost tender. Cook onions in bacon drippings. Add onions, cheeks & crumbled bacon to vegetables and water and simmer 10 minutes, add salt & pepper. Stir in milk & cream. Bring back to simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.


courtesy of: The Michigan Sportsman, iGreatLakes.com, PO Box 930291, Wixom, Michigan 48393

1251. PAN ROASTED WALLEYE PIKE with SAVOY CABBAGE, BACON and VANILLA SAUCE

yields four servings


Pike preparation

2 pounds fresh walleye pike fillets, with bone removed and skin on
2 tablespoons high quality canola or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Twenty minutes before serving place pike fillets skin side down on paper towels. This will help dry the skin so that it will crisp up better. Season skin side only with salt and white pepper. Preheat a nonstick sauté pan to medium-high and add two teaspoons of the oil. Add fish and cook for two to three minutes or until skin is crispy. Flip over and place in the oven for three to four minutes.


Cabbage Preparation

1 head savoy cabbage
1 gallon water
Salt

Bring gallon of water to boil and season with salt. Prepare an ice water bath. (A bowl of cold water and ice cubes…in which to “shock” the cabbage to stop it from cooking when you remove it from the boiling water.) Pull off the layers of cabbage, wash and cut into 4 x 4- shaped squares. Blanch in water in batches until just tender. Remove and immediately place in an ice bath. Take out and set aside.


Vanilla Sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh lemongrass
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 vanilla bean
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 quart chicken broth
2 teaspoons canola oil

Warm canola oil over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add shallot and cook until shallot is transparent. Add lemongrass and sprigs of thyme and continue to cook until aromatic. Add the vanilla bean, coconut milk, heavy cream and chicken broth. Let simmer until sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and strain, ensuring that liquid is smooth. Season to taste with salt, set aside and keep warm.


Final Preparation

1/2 pound thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, in slices
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke, julienned (water chestnuts may be substituted, if necessary)
4 tablespoons chopped chives

In a separate pan cook bacon until just on cusp of becoming crispy. Remove and drain bacon on paper towels. Reduce heat to low. Place reserved cabbage in pan with bacon juices. Add butter, sunchokes and two tablespoons of chives, stirring occasionally and heating thoroughly. Before plating, quickly drain cabbage mixture to remove any excess liquid.

On four warmed plates, place a mound of the cabbage mixture in center. Place slices of the bacon over cabbage. Remove fish from the oven and let the pan cool slightly. Add a tablespoon of butter on top of each filet, letting the butter baste the fish. When done remove from the pan and place on top of the bacon. Drizzle vanilla sauce over fish and garnish with the rest of the chives. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: Chef David Murphy, Wave, W Chicago Lakeshore Hotel, 644 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60611, (312) 943-9200 | Lake Magazine, 713 State Street, LaPorte, Indiana 46350, 877-362-8592

578. BARBECUE BACON-WRAPPED PIKE (or WALLEYE) SKEWERS

4-5 lbs Northern Pike (or walleye) fillets -- cut into 1" cubes
1 lb bacon strips, cut in half
Italian style dressing
barbecue sauce
bamboo skewers

Marinate cubed fish in Italian style dressing for 1 hour. Wrap bacon strips around marinated fish cubes. Spear into skewers so bacon doesn't unravel. Repeat until skewers are full. Cook over medium heat on barbecue; turn continually. Brush on your favourite BBQ sauce when the bacon begins to get crisp. Continue turning periodically until fish is white and bacon is crisp.


courtesy of: Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, 1199 Plessis Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 3L4