Deep Fried Pike Nuggets

I first tried this recipe years ago after my friend Chris and I caught a big northern pike through the ice in Minnesota. Pike have an extra set of bones that makes them tricky to fillet, so I got around that by chunking the meat and scoring the chunks across the extra bones, which breaks them into smaller pieces. The hot oil will help soften them enough to eat. Do this recipe with northerns smaller than 6 pounds.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 3-6 pound northern pike, skinned, filleted and cut into 2-inch chunks
• Salt
• 2 cups cold beer
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 T. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 t. cayenne pepper
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 2-3 eggs
• Peanut oil for frying

Preparation:

Find the extra rib bones on your pike fillets, then with a sharp knife cut through them -- do not cut the chunk in half. If you are good with a knife, cut a cross-hatch on the bone side; this breaks up the bone even more.

Salt the pike chunks and set aside.

Heat an oven to 200 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients. Add enough salt so when you taste it, the mixture tastes a little salty.

Beat the eggs until frothy. Add the beer, mix, then add the dry ingredients. Mix well. The batter should be thick enough so that you can lay the chunks on top of it and they won't immediately sink.

Heat peanut oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees.

Dip the pike chunks and shake off extra. Dip into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do this in small batches.

When done, place the fish on a paper towel on a platter and put in the oven to keep warm.

Serve with a series of sauces, such as hot sauce, aioli, and a Vietnamese dipping sauce. Oh yeah, and a cold beer!