Freshwater Drum Chowder recipe (with Pretzel bowls)

[gb1234]

Freshwater Drum (Sheepshead) Chowder

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced small
2 cups Water
2 Bay Leaves
1 pinch dried Thyme
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Black Pepper
2# Freshwater Drum fillets (or other firm fish, eg. halibut, cod, snapper)
2# Potatoes, diced
1 cup Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream (or more milk or yogurt)
1 pinch dried Green Onion tops (or fresh green onions or chives)

Instructions:

1. In a Dutch oven melt butter and olive oil together and add diced onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes till onions start to soften. Add the spices and bay leaves and continue to cook till fragrant.
2. Add fish and enough water to boil but not submerge fish, about 2 cups. Turn up heat and allow to boil till fish is cooked but not tough. Maybe 4-5 minutes, no more, under cooked is better than overcooked because it's going to cook some more later.
3. Remove fish to plate and allow to cool before flaking apart. Set aside for later.
4. Meanwhile, add diced potatoes and remaining ingredients to the pot and return to a low boil.
5. After 15-20 minutes the potatoes should be soft; add back in the fish that you flaked. This is a good time to check for flavors and add salt/pepper as needed.
6. Let the Chowder simmer for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. After it's simmered turn off heat and allow to rest till half an hour before dinner. At that time turn on the burner and bring almost to a boil before serving.
7. Ladle into pretzel bowls and serve hot!

Pretzel Bread Bowls
(recipe adapted from Nikki Gladd @ SeededAtTheTable.com)

Makes 8-10 bowls

Ingredients:
Dough -
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
3 cups warm water (between 110 – 115 degrees F)
4 ½ tsp yeast
9 cups all-purpose flour

Pretzel Bath -
20 +/- cups water
1 ¼ cups baking soda

Directions:

1. In mixing bowl (this can be done by hand or stand mixer,) combine melted butter, sugar, salt and warm water. Stir to combine. Add yeast sprinkled over top and wait 5 minutes to bloom.
2. Add the flour and mix till dough combines. If you're making it by hand; then remove dough from bowl and knead for approx. 4 minutes. If you're using a stand mixer then just turn the speed up to knead for another couple minutes. Knead till the dough is smooth.
3. Lightly grease the mixing bowl and coat the dough by turning it around in the bowl. Then cover with a plastic cover or wrap and place in a warm place for 45 minutes or until it's doubled in size.
4. Punch down the dough and remove from bowl to counter. Divide the dough evenly into 8-10 dough balls. I do this by weighing the dough and dividing it by however many bowls I want.
5. Form the balls however you like until they are smooth and round. Place them seam side down on a cookie sheet to rise again. Cover with clean dry towel to rest for 30 minutes.
6. While the dough is resting, fill a stock pot with 15-20 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the baking soda and return to a boil.
7. While the water is coming to a boil, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
8. After the baking soda water is boiling and the rolls have risen, carefully add one roll at a time (if they are small enough you can fit 2 or 3 in the stock pot together) and boil for 1-2 minutes, flip over to boil the other side for 1-2 minutes. After both sides have been boiled, return the roll to the cookie sheet and score the center of the roll to allow for expansion. Sprinkle with course salt, if desired.
9. Bake in the preheated oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until dark brown. Allow to cool before cutting.
10. Once cool, use a sharp small knife to cut a circle out of the top of the roll. Use your hands or a spoon to scoop out the inside of the roll, leaving about a quarter-inch of bread to keep your soup from leaking out.
11. Ladle in your soup and serve immediately.

[West Basin]

Gb1234

Where the _eck did that come from??

Maybe work with worn out canvas pieces too?

LOL!

Seriously. If you haven't tried all of Lake Erie's fish species on the dinner (or supper) table, caught, kept, and prepared well, well then shame on 'ya.

Table fair conversation.

Try it.

West Basin

[gb1234]

My awesome wife typed this up just for y'all. Pictures are from our dinner last night. One of the best seafood dishes you will ever eat. Tasty drum!!

[itsbob]

Thank you wife for typing out that extensive recipe

[Ole fisherman]

Around Lake Erie, these drum are considered a trash fish, but in many states they are a sought after species, where you hire guides to fish for them. Some areas even have daily bag limits. Not sure why or how they lost out in this area......