What’s the Catch?
By Barrett Baker
Lake Anna is abundantly stocked with a number of freshwater gamefish that are fun to catch and even better to eat. But have you ever stopped to wonder how amazingly similar the art of fishing is to the art of cooking? Both need equipment (Fishing: boat, motor, rod, reel, tackle box, stringer. Cooking: oven, bowls, pots, utensils, platters, cutting board). Both require a recipe for success (Fishing: line, weight, spinner, lure. Cooking: proteins, veggies, spices, liquids). And in both cases, you need to know what your intended target is craving (Fishing: worms, crickets, minnow, flies. Cooking: salads, entrees, desserts, smoothies).
Click here to read about fishing on Lake Anna.
Poached Bass in Herb Butter
- 6 6-ounce bass fillets, skin on
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- ¼ cup chives, chopped
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in a skillet. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add bass fillets, skin side down. Cook over moderately low heat until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Spicy Broiled Bass
- 1 ½ pounds of panfish fillets
- 1 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Melt butter in saucepan and stir in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice and parsley. Spoon sauce into large glass baking dish, coating bottom thoroughly. Add fish fillets in a single layer, then pour on rest of sauce. Broil about 10 minutes until fish is cooked through.
Perch Cakes
- 1 pound perch fillets, cooked and flaked
- 1 sweet onion, sliced
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- Pepper to taste
- ½ cup cornflake crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil
Slice sweet onion and place slices on foil. Lay perch fillets on onion slices and drizzle with olive oil and butter. Seal fish into a pouch and cook in 350-degree F. oven or off heat on the grill for about 20 minutes. Let cool and flake, discarding skin and any bones.
Mix egg, onion, mustard, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper is a bowl and toss with flaked fish. Add enough cornflake crumbs to shape 4 to 6 cakes. Roll each cake in extra crumbs to coat. Heat vegetable oil in skillet and fry cakes until golden brown.
