Crappie fishing is somewhat of a rarity here in Colorado. This ice fishing season, Jesse and I upped our game and bought a Marcum fish finder as a Christmas gift to ourselves, in order to really get our ice fishing dialed in. Having grown up in Missouri, where the crappie are abundant, Jesse had been hitting the ice quite a bit for these little guys this year. This week, I finally had the opportunity to join in on the fun, and catch my first crappie, or ten. The moon was full, and the weather was warm. It felt like the perfect evening to limit out. In Colorado, the daily limit for crappie is 20, however in certain locations, including this particular spot, the limit is 10. With only a couple of hours until sunset, Jesse, myself, and our buddy, Tim limited out with plenty of time to spare before dark. Crappie aren’t an easy catch. They swim around in thick schools, and drift into different directions. A fish finder is KEY to being successful. For 10 minutes they’ll be right under you in one hole, and before you know it, they’ll leave, and be piled under another hole only 6 feet away. With tiny little nibbles, and somewhat picky appetites, these fish can be tricky to hook. However, the bite was on, and I finally experienced the thrill of catching a limit with the family in tow. But, remember, if you plan to catch a limit or two of crappie, be prepared for more work ahead. For being small fish, with large flavor, they are tedious to clean. This outing was an overall team effort. From catching them, cleaning them, and then finally preparing these amazing fish tacos, Jesse and I put in the work together. Though he did most of the crappie cleaning (I take care of the trout), I got my hands on a few for the first time. Let’s just say I need a little more practice. These tacos ended up being the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. The labor was worth it. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
For the Fried Crappie:
8-10 crappie filets
Corn meal
Flour
Taco seasoning
Milk or Half & Half
Vegetable Oil
Salt
For the Refried Beans:
1 can of pinto beans
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
Cumin Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Oregano
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup of water
Other Ingredients:
Long Grain Rice
Sour Cream
Chopped Lettuce
Your favorite salsa (we used a yummy homemade salsa from our local market)
Corn Tortillas
Butter
Directions:
After filleting the crappie, mix together flour, corn meal, and taco seasoning into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, pour your milk or half and half.
Soak your your fillets in the milk bowl. Some people will do this for several hours before frying, but a good pre-soak for 10 minutes or so will do as well.
After soaking dip your fillets into the flour and cornmeal mixture until fillet is completely covered.
I like to do a double dip to ensure a good batter crust. I will dip the fillets back into the milk and and do another coat of flour/cornmeal mixture. Then set fillets aside until rest are done.
9. Follow instructions on rice package, and cook rice for the tacos. You can use any rice you prefer, just remember that certain grains take different amounts of time to cook.
10. I love refried beans, and I typically will just buy a can, and throw it in a small pot with a couple tablespoons of butter and mix until beans are creamy and warm.
6. Be sure your oil is hot enough in a large, deep pan on the oven. Once you have all of your fillets battered up, begin to fry them in the hot oil!
7. Flip the fillets over, cooking for several minutes on each side
8. When the fillets become a perfect golden brown color, and are beginning to float in the oil, place in a colander with a bowl underneath to drain out excess oil.
11. For the tortillas, I use classic corn tortillas, and will crisp them up in a small nonstick pan with butter.
12. Dice up your favorite taco toppings which could include lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc. I also like to add some salsa, cheese, and