February 15, 2025

Striped Bass Recipes: Cooking Strategies for Anglers

Striped Bass Recipes: Cooking Strategies for Anglers

Striped bass are not an unrestricted source, and recent slot restrictions paired with capture and launch procedures are benefitting populations together the east coastline. But we also realize that striped bass are rather tasty, and a chunky striper that steps in the slot limit can be a ideal seafood meal. You just require the suitable striped bass recipes.

Stripers are anadromous, this means they spend most of their lives in maritime habitat, but enter freshwater to spawn. Additionally, quite a few of the nation’s inside reservoirs, rivers, and organic lakes host land-locked stripers—the products and solutions of nationwide stocking efforts. But where ever these fish roam, they supply business, moderate white fillets yielding delicious foods with a variety of preparations. Right here are some of our favorite striped bass recipes and a wide range of means to put together and prepare dinner them.

Field & Stream Senior Editor Ryan Chelius with 28-inch striped bass.
Area & Stream’s Senior Editor Ryan Chelius with 28-inch striped bass. Ryan Chelius

Preparing

Optimum effects get started with thoroughly icing your catch and cleaning ASAP. Most agree to eliminate the darkish crimson “blood meat” that operates laterally as a result of every fillet. There’s a effectively-defined strip of pink stretching from best to bottom, but also seem at the pores and skin aspect (with the skin eradicated), and you will also see that this blood meat erratically extends past the centre strip. Trim all of this crimson region, or your fillet will have a fishy style.

Although stripers generally mature effectively past the 20-pound mark, the scaled-down fish less than 10 lbs . normally make the greatest “eaters.” It is also essential to notice that saltwater striped bass must evaluate in between 28 and 31 inches to keep. Freshwater striped bass regulations vary from point out to state.

B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland, who put in a few many years in fisheries administration at the Oklahoma Office of Wildlife Conservation filleted a good deal of freshwater stripers, along with white bass and hybrids. Gilliland likes his striped bass fried, and he lately shared his specific procedure.

Move 1: Reduce the fillets into strips about an inch square and 3-4 inches extended. Slicing all the parts as evenly as feasible in measurement and thickness promotes constant frying. Then, drain on a paper towel to get rid of surplus moisture. This aids in coating adhesion.

Action 2: Blend one particular 6-ounce jar of yellow mustard with a can or bottle of your favourite beer (warm is very best) and stir properly. Then, soak fillets in the mustard/beer mixture when making ready the dry combine.

Phase 3: Fill your fryer with peanut oil and warmth to 375 degrees.

Step 4: The dry blend contains of yellow corn food with a splash of cracker crumbs or panko crumbs. Period with salt and cayenne pepper (a little more pepper if the group is adventurous). To examination the dry blend, dip a finger into the mustard/beer, then dip it into the dry blend, and then lick your finger to flavor. Really don’t flavor-examination the dry blend devoid of the mustard base.

Move 5: Mix the dry elements in a Much better Breader, which will help prevent the blend from clumping on the fillets.

Stage 6: Eliminate fish pieces from the mustard/beer and permit them drain to remove extra, then set them in the Improved Breader (12-15 items at a time). Shake and jiggle the parts for even coating.

Move 7: Drop coated pieces in warm oil for 3 minutes. Set a timer for exact cooking time. At the time the items float, get rid of them and drain on paper towels. As soon as the oil temperature returns to 375, have the following batch of coated fillets ready.

As an option to deep frying, Ree Drummond of the Pioneer Woman offers air frying instructions.

angler holding striped bass
To continue to keep a striped bass in saltwater, it must evaluate in between 28 and 31 inches. Jack Flatley

Other Striped Bass Recipes/Cooking Solutions

Frying striped bass is only one particular system to get pleasure from your catch. Right here are a quantity of other strategies to prepare and prepare dinner your striper fillets.

Pan Sear: Soak striper fillets in your favorite marinade. Then warmth a frying pan to medium-superior with a thin sheen of olive oil period the fish with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then prepare dinner for 3-5 minutes on just about every aspect. If you like crispy edges, increase the heat at the close of your prepare dinner and make confident the oil and residual particles do not start out singing or smoking. Serve seared fillets with fresh lime.

Blackened: Coat your fillets with your preferred blackening combine, or use a selfmade model with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, basil, and oregano. Heat a forged iron skillet to medium-significant, dredge your fillets in melted butter, then seriously coat them with your blackening mix. Prepare dinner for 2-3 minutes on each facet or right up until you attain a blackened crust.

Fish Cakes: Mix baked or pan-seared striper meat with panko bread crumbs, egg, finely chopped inexperienced onion, and your most well-liked seasoning. Kind into patties about 50 percent an inch thick and both pan fry or cook dinner on a flat leading griddle. Provide with tartar or remoulade sauce.

Steamed: Northeast striper fisherman Alberto Knie is known for his culinary flair, and when he’s not creating tasteful sushi platters, he’ll generally prepare steamed striper dinners. His strategy: arrange the fillets on a plate with finely chopped ginger and onions, lemon wedges, soy sauce, and vinegar, then position in a steamer for about 7-10 minutes, relying on fillet thickness.

Foil Tent: This approach functions in the oven or on the grill. Start by putting striper fillets in a tent manufactured of hefty-responsibility aluminum foil atop a bed of sliced or diced onions and bell peppers tossed in further virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with your most loved seasoning, fold above the foil’s top rated and sides, and loosely crimple prior to cooking for 10-12 minutes. 

Smoked Fish Dip: Established striped bass fillets on a rack smoker and smoke for 4-5 hrs at very low warmth. Shred the cooked meat, and combine with mayonnaise and ranch dressing, sea salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to a sought after texture/regularity. For a thicker, richer dip, insert softened cream cheese. Provide with crackers and lemon wedges.

Striped Bass Skewers: Minimize fillets into even chunks about an inch sq. and marinate in golden Italian salad dressing or a balsamic vinegar/additional virgin olive oil combine for at the very least an hour. For the duration of the marination, soak wood skewers in home temperature water to avoid charring. Drain canned pineapple rings (help you save the juice) and slice into inch-wide pieces. Fill the skewer’s top 50 percent by alternating fish and pineapple and prepare dinner for 5-7 minutes in the air fryer or about the grill, turning midway. Then combine reserved pineapple juice with teriyaki sauce and brush cooked fish skewers just before serving more than rice.

Striper Tacos: Grill or pan-sear fillets, about chop into chunk-dimension chunks, and stack into tender tortillas (flour tortillas have a tendency to hold up superior than corn) more than a foundation of shredded lettuce or purple cabbage slaw. Drizzle with garlic/lime aioli, prime with pickled pink onions, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.