Bottom fishing off the coast of Charleston can bring up a wide variety of fish. With several fish closing soon like grouper and the ones you can’t keep like American Red Snapper, there are others that are consistently available.
Black Sea Bass, Vermilion Snapper, several species of porgy, grunts, trigger-fish, and many more are usually available all year.
I’m mainly going to concentrate on Black Sea Bass and Vermilion Snapper whole. Everyone who goes out fishing off the coast know that even if you catch a minimum size sea bass or snapper that the fillet is the size of a fish stick.
However, if you cook the fish whole you can get something that looks more like a meal. I generally try to find ones that are about 15-16 inches or roughly 1.5-2.5 pounds.
The first step is preparing your fish. When you return from fishing take your desired whole fish and scale them first, then gut the fish and clean the cavity well.
I usually keep the fins attached but that’s a personal preference. Some will remove the fins (dorsal, pectoral, anal, pelvic and caudal) and even the head. Do whatever you feel comfortable with.
There are several ways whole fish can be prepared. Some of the more common ways would be grilled, fried, and baked. Today we will be focusing on preparing and executing the fried portion.
First thing is get your scaled and cleaned fish and make a few slits at a 45 degree angle starting behind the pectoral fin. Make the slits about 1.5 inches apart and stop before the tail. If you choose to leave the dorsal fin intact be cautious of the sharp spines. Repeat on both sides and reserve fish.
Get a bowl or a pan where you can completely submerge the fish in buttermilk. Then get a baking sheet with sides and add some flour to the bottom of it. Take your whole fish from the buttermilk and put it in the flour. Then add more flour on top and coat until completely covered.
Depending on which way you decide to fry your fish (a pan or portable fryer) there can be several factors to consider. If you’re using a portable fryer heat the oil to 350 degrees. I personally like to put the fish in buttermilk first and then coat in your desired breading.
Carefully start by putting the fish into the oil, head first. Cooking times vary depending on the size of the fish. Generally a 1.5 to 2 pound fish will take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully remove from oil and place on a platter lined with paper towels. Pull back a small piece to see if the fish is done.
It should come off clean and white in color. Fried fish will keep cooking once taken off the heat so don’t cook the crap out of it. If you’re using a larger whole fish I would suggest baking it rather than frying it. Serve with desired sides and sauces with some Recipe’s below.
Jalapeno Tartar Sauce:
Pickle Relish- ¼ cup
Duke’s Mayo-1 ¼ cup
Lemon Juice- 3 Tablespoons
Red Tabasco- 2 Shots
Cayenne Pepper- 1 pinch
Cumin- 1 pinch
Kosher Salt- 1 teaspoon
Pepper- 1 teaspoon
Fresh Jalapeno(No Seeds)- 1 finely diced
Method of Preparation:
Cut jalapeno in half and take out the seeds. Dice into small pieces. Mix remaining ingredients into a bowl and reserve
Cocktail Sauce:
Ketchup- 1 1/3 cup
Horseradish- ¼ cup
Red Tabasco- 2 Shots
Fresh Lime Juice- 1 Tablespoon
Fresh Lemon Juice- 1 Tablespoon
Worcestershire Sauce- 1 ½ teaspoons
Kosher Salt- 1 teaspoon
Black Pepper- 1 teaspoon
Method of Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and reserve
– Chef Kyle Kryske has been cooking in restaurants for 18 years. He is Chef de Cuisine at Coast Restaurant in Charleston.
You may also enjoy reading Mahi Mahi, It’s More Than Just Tacos
