NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1523285
16 Nebraskaland • July 2024 By Ryan Sparks CAJUN PIKE CAKES Pike get a bad rap. Not because they aren't delicious, but because of their pesky Y-bones. There is a technique to filleting pike that leaves you with five boneless fillets, but an easier method is to fillet them normally and make pike cakes. By gently poaching the fillets and then flaking the meat from the bones, you're left with a pile of flaky white fish that makes my favorite pike dish. Think of pike cakes as a template rather than a strict recipe. You can substitute almost anything in the recipe (including what type of fish you use), and they will still turn out great. For this variety, I went with a Cajun-inspired recipe using the "holy trinity" of bell peppers and onion. I made these pike cakes with the rib meat from three pike. That's a lot of good fish that would have otherwise been wasted. Try this version first and then play around with your own pike cake recipe. Servings: 4 (makes 6 pike cakes) Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: • 1 ⁄2 pound cooked, flaked pike • 1 egg • 1 cup crushed saltine crackers (a little more than half a sleeve) • 1 ⁄4 cup finely diced green bell pepper (about half a small bell pepper) • 1 ⁄4 cup finely diced red bell pepper (about half a small bell pepper) • 1 ⁄4 cup finely diced white onion • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise • 1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon black pepper • Mixed salad greens • 3 tablespoons butter • Lemon wedges (for serving) Remoulade Sauce - makes 1½ cups • 1 cup mayonnaise • 3 tablespoons coarse mustard • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley • 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika • 2 green onions, minced • 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt • 1 ⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1. Start by gently poaching your fish in water. Chicken stock, white wine or even milk (my personal favorite) will also work. When the fish is just cooked through, transfer it to a plate to cool. 2. While the fish cools, mix all the other ingredients (except butter, mixed greens, lemon wedges and remoulade sauce) in a bowl. 3. When cool to handle, flake the flesh from the bones. Be thorough. Add boneless fish to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. 4. Grab a handful of the mixture, turning it your hand and slightly squeezing while simultaneously pressing with your thumb. This method creates perfectly sized and shaped fish cakes. 5. When your cakes are formed, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add the cakes and cook on each side for five minutes or until they are perfectly browned. 6. Place the cakes on a bed of mixed greens, top with remoulade sauce and serve with a lemon wedge. IN THE FIELD RYAN SPARKS