Bass Recipes

1 lb. smoked bass fillets, flaked
Cajun seasoning
1 brick softened cream cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup seeded, minced jalapeno
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste

Season a pound of bass fillets with your favorite Cajun seasoning. Smoke at 225 degrees for about an hour or until fish is flaky (I prefer apple or pecan wood for fish). Let cool before adding the rest of the ingredients.

When the art of frying bass, or any fish, is mastered, the possibilities for great meals are endless. This recipe builds on the skill of frying fish to create a New Orleans classic – the po-boy.

1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Crystal hot sauce
8 boneless, skinless bass fillets
Peanut or rice oil
2 12-inch French loaves
2 cups fish coating
4 tablespoons remoulade
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
½ purple onion, sliced

Mix buttermilk, hot sauce and 2-oz. fillets in a bowl. Let rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to a day.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and heat peanut or rice oil to 375 degrees. When oven is ready, place French loaves on a sheet and bake 3 to 4 minutes until crispy; remove from oven. When oil is hot, remove fillets one at a time from the buttermilk and let excess milk drip off. Place each fillet in your favorite fish coating (in a zip-top bag) and shake. Place each fillet in the oil and cook about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Cut each loaf lengthwise and slather the inside with remoulade (from the store or homemade). Place 4 fillets on the bottom half and top with lettuce and onion. Serve with hushpuppies and/or french fries.

This Cajun dish was inspired by a red fishing trip out of Venice, Louisiana. A staple Cajun dish is redfish on the half shell. Half shell refers to a fillet where the ribs have been removed, but the meat is still attached to the skin and scales. Bass on the half shell is a twist on this Cajun favorite!

4 6oz or larger bass fillets (skin and scales attached)
2 sticks of melted butter
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Louisiana Style Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

Preheat grill or smoker to 225 degrees. Pat fillets dry and place skin down on a non-metallic tray. Sprinkle ¼ T of Cajun seasoning on each fillet. Place fillets on grill or smoker skin side down for 10 minutes.  While the fillets are cooking, combine melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and remaining Cajun seasoning. 

After 10 minutes, baste each fillet with the butter sauce, let cook 5 more minutes. Baste again. When fish is white and flaky (about 30 minutes total) pull off the grill and baste with the butter sauce one more time. Serve with rice and grilled vegetables. Enjoy!

The Fish
2lbs boneless bass fillets
Cajun seasoning of your choosing
Paprika
Unsalted butter

The Rice
2 cups white rice
4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped cilantro
Juice from 2 limes
1 teaspoon salt 

Creole Cowboy Caviar
1 can black beans drained
1 can corn drained
½ purple onion chopped
1 Roma tomato diced
1 jalapeno chopped
½ bell pepper chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
Cajun seasoning to taste

The Sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 avocado
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno
Dash of hot sauce

The beauty of this recipe is that everything except the fish can be prepped ahead of time so that when it is time to serve, all that is left to be done is quickly cook the fish. 

Start by preparing your Creole Cowboy Caviar. In a large bowl combine all ingredients, mix well, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Now is the time to prepare the rice. 

In a medium sauce pan, combine water, rice, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil. Stir once. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Rest until serving. The next step will be to create the sauce (which could also be prepared well ahead of time). In a blender, combine sour cream, 2 halve avocados, the juice of 1 lime, one jalapeno rough chopped, and a dash of hot sauce. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Now for the fish. Make sure the fillets are cold and dry. Generously shake your favorite Cajun seasoning and some paprika on both sides of the fillet. If possible cook the fish outside or in a well ventilated area. Heat a large cast iron skillet to almost white hot. Add a ½ stick of unsalted butter. Once the butter is melted, carefully place fish in skillet, do not over crowd. Depending on the thickness, this should take about 2 minutes per side. Remove fish from skillet and repeat until all fish is cooked. 

The last step is to assemble the bowl. In a bowl, place a generous scoop of rice. Top with the fish, caviar, and finish with the sauce. Enjoy !