Old Fashioned Fried Bluegill

I call this recipe Old Fashioned not because the cooking method is old, but rather because the feelings it invokes are old to me. These days, a livewell full of big, fileting sized bluegill or crappie makes me happy when I am fishing. There was a time though when the size of the fish didn't matter -- back years ago when my brother and I were a couple of barefoot kids with free range of the farm, back when our summers revolved around a tiny farm pond down the road from the house. The bluegills there weren't large, but they were cooperative, and we almost never left without at least a few on the stringer.

Since we caught the fish, we were expected to skin them. And our skinning skills were pretty limited back then. Mostly, the fish ended up minus their heads and scales. The fins and tails stayed on. Mom would dust the gills in cornmeal and fry them whole. We learned to watch for bones as we picked the succulent meat off the fish. The crunchy tails were always our favorite part, reminding us somehow of potato chips, only better.

I like to fry my fish outdoors when possible; it keeps down the heat, mess and odor in the kitchen. Just feels right, too. A cast iron Lodge Dutch Oven on a propane burner or turkey fryer is just the ticket. Fry in a mix of vegetable shortening and a high smoke point oil like peanut or safflower.