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texan - bass in a bag

BabyKato avatar
Recipe by
Baby Kato
@BabyKato
Beautiful Shore Country, NB

This recipe has been posted here for play in Culinary Quest - Texas. This recipe is by Beverly Burmeier from website: http://www.texascooking.com One of the most popular and easily caught fish of the Texas Gulf Coast is bass, a medium sized fresh water fish that populates the semi-briny marshes just inland of the gulf waters. My favorite, no-fuss method of preparing bass is perfect for entertaining in laid-back Texas style. "Bass in a bag" literally means serving the fish from a brown paper bag, allowing people to help themselves from the bag.

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yield 2 - how ever many you want.... depending on fish
prep time 5 Min
cook time 5 Min
method Deep Fry

Ingredients For texan - bass in a bag

  • FISH
  • bass, cut bass filets into large, bite-sized chunks (about 1-1 ½ inches square)
  • BATTER
  • egg
  • milk
  • yellow cornmeal or boxed cornbread mixture
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • FRY
  • cooking oil

How To Make texan - bass in a bag

  • 1
    First and foremost, cooking must be done on the patio or in the backyard. This is not an inside job, partly because frying fish leaves lingering odors in the house.
  • 2
    Cut bass filets into large, bite-sized chunks (about 1-1 ½ inches square). Dip the pieces into a liquid mixture, then coat with cornmeal batter and deep fry until brown and crispy. As you remove the pieces from the hot oil, put immediately into a brown paper bag.
  • 3
    Too casual for you? Okay, use a platter. Next time you'll love the convenience of the bag. Why a paper bag? The bag soaks up any excess grease from deep frying, thus keeping the fish crisp. Also, it insulates and keeps the pieces warm much longer than placing them on a platter. And we Texans like entertaining in unusual ways. Add pinto beans and a green salad for a truly delicious Texas seafood feast.
  • 4
    If you are planning a large party, and one fishing trip isn't likely to yield enough filets, bass freezes quite well. Put the filets into a plastic freezer bag, then add water before sealing. This freezes the fish in ice and limits freezer burn.
  • 5
    Batter: Beat egg with milk, about two tablespoons per egg (total amount depends on number of filets you are preparing). Dip bass chunks in liquid. Coat with yellow cornmeal, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, or use a cornbread mix (such as Pioneer). I prefer the mix because it already contains leavening and sweeteners.
  • 6
    Fry: Using a deep fryer, heat cooking oil to sizzling. Drop bass chunks into hot oil, being careful not to crowd fish in cooker. Quickly fry a small number of pieces at a time. Remove pieces and place in brown paper bag. Remember, the bag will keep the fish crisp and warm for a long time. Enjoy-good friends and great fish.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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