ALABAMA

Fried Sheepshead

heepshead have long had an undeserved reputation as being a trash, throwaway fish; they’re actually one of the best tasting inshore fish found on the Gulf Coast! Their very firm and mild white meat make them a versatile and crowd pleasing meal. During the winter months, sheepshead can be found hanging around all sorts of inshore structures such as rock jetties, bridge pilings, and sea walls. These fish have excellent vision and love to steal bait so hiding your hook on light mono filament line or fluorocarbon leaders is crucial! Live baits such as fiddler crabs, shrimp, or even night crawlers work best for these great fighting fish. If your next fishing trip yields plenty of sheepshead, you can’t go wrong with frying them. Sometimes simple really is best!

Ingredients

Sheepshead filets, dried thoroughly

3 eggs

Splash of milk

Zatarain’s Crispy Southern Fish Fry

Canola oil for frying

Salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning

Thermometer for oil temperature

SFried fish is a simple dish that can be elevated and perfected by paying attention to details such as drying the fish properly and not letting the frying oil get too hot. Setting up a breading station makes the process easier and less messy as well. Loaf pans work great for large filets.

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 340 degrees. Don’t let the oil get much hotter than 350 degrees because the breading will cook too fast and get very dark, and the fish will not be cooked through.

2. Set up a breading station using loaf pans or similarly shaped Tupperware. Crack eggs into one pan and lightly whisk them with a few tablespoons of milk. Season with salt, pepper, and your favorite Cajun seasoning blend.

3. Add plenty of fish fry to second pan. I like to add some extra cornmeal for crunch. Season the dry fish fry mixture like the wet mixture.

4. Pat the filets dry with thick paper towels.

5. Dip filet into fish fry, shake off excess, dip filet into egg mixture, drip excess away, then dip wet filet back into fish fry and shake off excess fry.

6. Gently lower filet into oil. Fry until filet floats and appears golden brown. Time depends on the size of the filets, usually 3-5 mins.

7. Don’t crowd the pan; try to fry two filets at a time. 8. Drain on paper towels

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Serve with J. Lee’s hot sauce, cocktail sauce, and/or tartar sauce and lemon wedges.