Pike is a famous carnivorous fish, mainly found in freshwater bodies in the northern hemisphere. These fish can grow up to an average length of 16 to 22 inches, with maximum recorded lengths of up to 59 inches and published weights of 63 lb. Most anglers catch these fish for sporting or fun activities. The fish tends to be bony, thus becoming an inconvenience to anyone seeking to eat them. So, are pike good to eat? Let’s look at everything you need to know about eating pike; if you can eat pike, the taste and how to prepare it.
Is pike edible?
The facts surrounding this fish species because of its bones and the increased need for sporting activities leave most people asking, can you eat pike? Although some individuals consider it an inedible fish, you can eat the pike fish species as they are safe to eat and come with a delicious taste. The fish have lean and mild-flavored meat, which is usually white.
However, while cooking and eating the fish, it’ll be necessary to ensure you use the proper cooking methods to achieve a more fantastic taste and flavor. Despite the bones causing inconvenience while cooking and eating, this fish is safe and healthy as it’s very oily and has high protein components. Lastly, compared with other sea fish species like bass, the pike fish species has fewer toxins as its diet consists of natural diets and other small fish lower in the food chain.
How does the pike taste?
The pike meat comes with a variety of tastes depending on the cooking method you choose. Generally, the taste of this fish species ranges from mild and delicate, a fishy sweet taste, a subtle flavor, to a strong earthy aftertaste. Its taste is similar to muskies’ taste, while the sweetness comes close to the walleye’s sweetness. However, with the different cooking recipes, many people enjoy the different tastes of pike flesh. Therefore, it’ll be great to try the recipe that brings out your favorite taste.
How to cook the pike properly
After preparing the fish properly by cleaning, removing the bones, and cutting it, there are numerous methods you can use to cook it well and achieve a greater taste. You can choose to deep fry, roast, bake, or grill the fish with your favorite condiments. The most common recipes for the fish include:
● Start by grilling the fish until it’s crispy outside and very soft inside, then add some olive oil or butter, pepper, lemon, and salt, based on your desired quantities. The ingredients help the fish to retain some of its natural flavors and have a greater taste. After getting ready, you can serve it with vegetables, fried rice, or your favorite combination.
● You can also prepare it into casseroles, where you bread them with cornmeal before deep frying. Alternatively, you can bake it wholly with stuffing inside, grilled or smoked to get the delicious smoky meat flavor.
● Lastly, you can use the pan-frying method to prepare, where you boil or pan fry it until you observe crispy skin. After which, dip the fish into flour, bread crumbs you’ve mixed with your desired herbs for your deep frying needs, or eggs, which you’ve seasoned with pepper and salt. Then you can carefully dunk the meat into the egg wash severally before frying the meat.
When cooking the fish, it’s essential to clean the fish properly to prevent the stinkiness and slimness that discourages most individuals. It’ll also be important to remove the bones carefully to prevent inconveniences while cooking or when eating. In addition, to get the proper taste of this fish species, it’s important to cook them immediately after catching and cleaning them, as they don’t do well when frozen or on ice when you choose to store them.
Final Thoughts
Pike becoming one of the most sought-after sporting fish and the myths surrounding its numerous bones leaves most individuals with this question; can you eat pike? Yes, the pike fish species is one of the delicious seawater fish depending on the preparation method. It can be even sweeter and has the best flavor than walleye and other sea fish species. Proper cleaning and filleting to remove the bones become important to ensure you enjoy your pike flesh. Importantly, pick the small fish from the cold waters, clean them and cook them immediately after killing them to enjoy a greater flavor and taste.