Honey Fried Walleye

Recipes

If you’re not from the upper Midwest or Canada, “walleye” probably sounds like a tool or something. But in the Great Lakes region, it’s a delicacy. Conveniently, it’s also just about everywhere. It’s just as common to see it on shelves as it is to fish one out of the lake yourself.

If you’ve never had walleye, here’s high praise from the foodies at Wikipedia: “walleye is considered to be a quite palatable freshwater fresh.” We take that to mean it’s well worth a try, and not just some crazy local favorite like cheese curds.

Of course, if you don’t have any walleye handy, this recipe will work just as well with any other light, flaky fish, even if that means settling for tilapia. As a Great Lakes specialty, it’s the perfect recipe to feature our extremely light and sweet Local Hive Great Lakes Honey.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs

3 tsp Local Hive Great Lakes Honey

2 cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 50 crackers)

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 pounds walleye fillets

1/3 to 1/2 cup oil, canola is the go-to, but you can also try avocado oil or ghee

6 lemon wedges

Parsley, minced

DIRECTIONS

1. In a shallow bowl, beat egg and stir in Local Hive Honey.
2. In a shallow dish, combine crushed crackers and salt. Dip fish in honey-egg mixture, then in cracker mixture. Turn until coated.
3. In a cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook fillets 3–5 minutes per side until golden and flaky: you should be able to easily flake off bits with a fork.
4. Rest fillets on paper towels and allow to cool slightly. Top with parsley and a squeeze of lemon just before serving.