A view of the Coast Guard lighthouse overlooking Whitefish Point in the U.P. of Michigan (taken from the birding deck behind the museum buildings)
Grilled. Pan Fried. Beer Battered and Deep Fried. Cooked over a campfire. Shake n bake style using Jiffy Mix and cooked in an electic frying pan while tent camping. Pate' on crackers. Smoked. Whitefish's delicate taste and flaky flesh takes to each and every cooking method like a fish to water.
Lake Superior Whitefish is still fished primarily as a local fish thus while it's abundant and easily available in the UP of Michigan, the farther downstate you travel the less likely it's found on restaurant menus. While I often long for whitefish and wish that we could get it while in Texas, the reality that it's not commercially fished preserves it's purity and makes it a special treat when we come north.
On top of it all ... whitefish is good for you. Chocked full of omega-3s and low in concentration of contaminates you really could eat it 3 times a day.
This "Buyers Guide" is a 16 page pamphlet that gives some fish history, a couple of great charts that show what to look for in whole, fresh, frozen, and smoked whitefish. There's health information and several tasty-looking recipes including this chowder recipe which I'm going to try once we get home.
Whitefish or Lake Herring Chowder
Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp. finely diced ham
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1 quart milk, scalded
• 1 lb. Minced whitefish or Lake Herring, thawed
• 4 tbsp. soft butter
• 4 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup cream
• paprika for garnish
Instructions: In large heavy pot, sauté ham and onions together over medium heat until onions are soft. Add potatoes, salt, pepper and water. Simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add milk and minced whitefish. Stir to break up fish. In small bowl blend butter and flour until roux is formed. Stir mixture into chowder and cook until thickens. Add cream, don't boil. Garnish with paprika. Serves 6 National Fisheries Institute - www.nfi.org
And... just for fun:
Here's a link to watch these Whitefish at play from the LSSU fish- cam in Sault Saint Marie, MI.
