Cook Northern Pike Fish

One Northern Pike fish is enough for a large dinner.

The Northern Pike is a species of fish commonly found in fresh and brackish water throughout Europe and North America. The Northern Pike can grow up to 60 inches in length and weigh as much as 68 pounds. Pikes dwell in muddy water and, as a result, their meat has an unappetizing muddy flavor. However, if you prepare a Northern Pike properly, you can extract its muddy flavor and turn it into an appealing dish. Preparing the pike will require 24 hours before you can bake the fish.

Instructions

1. Cut deeply behind the gills of the pike, slicing off its head. You might have to turn the fish over and make an incision on the other side to remove its head fully, depending on the size of the pike. Discard the pike's head.

2. Work the knife beneath the fish's flesh on one side, separating the fish from bone. Begin at the exposed end where the head was and cut down to the tail, creating a large fish fillet. Repeat with the other side.

3. Lay the fillets out flat on a table and work your knife between the flesh and skin of the fish. Remove and discard the skin from each fillet. Lay the fillets skinned side up.

4. Locate a white strip down the center of the fillets; this is the top of the fish's ribs, or Y bones. Slice beneath these bones, all the way down the fish, without cutting clean through the fillet. Make a second cut above these bones, down the fish, removing the ribs in a triangular piece of fish. Repeat with the other fillet.

5. Combine 4 cups milk and 1 cup mayonnaise in a large bowl and immerse the fish fillets in the mixture. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. The milk draws out oils and the mayonnaise binds to the oils so they do not re-enter the fish. This removes the distasteful muddy flavor of the Northern Pike.

6. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Rinse the milk and mayonnaise off the pike fillets with cool water and discard the remaining mixture. Use a paper towel to pat the fish dry.

8. Coat the fillets with butter, completely covering both sides of the fish. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper over each fillet. Set each fillet on a sheet of aluminum foil.

9. Pour 1 tbsp. lemon juice over each fillet and wrap in the aluminum foil.

10. Place the wrapped fillets in a baking pan and cook for 30 minutes. Allow the pike to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Tags: Northern Pike, each fillet, muddy flavor, aluminum foil, bones down, bones down fish, down fish