“Fishing for walleye, eating walleye — it’s secular communion. It affirms your identity as a Minnesotan,” Karal Ann Marling, professor emerita at the University of Minnesota has said.
Walleye, sometimes referred to as the freshwater equivalent of dover sole, has somewhat of a cult following here. Where else could you find a 26-foot walleye statue like “Wally” standing tall at a lakeside park in Garrison, Minn.?
On the plate, nothing beats walleye. It’s meaty and firm with snowy white flesh of satiny succulence. Lean and slightly sweet, its flinty taste reflects its clean, watery home. The fillets have relatively few bones and are featured in Friday night fish fries, shore lunches and sautéed in a pan. As a bonus for home cooks, walleye does not smell fishy at all.
Walleye, related to perch, is known as pickerel in Michigan and is often sold as yellow pike in New York, where it’s made into gefilte fish (oy!). Anglers seek walleye in deep cold lakes from New York to Montana to North Carolina; but the fish are native to our Great Lakes region.
Now is a great time for fresh walleye. A source of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D and selenium, the fish is easy to cook. It’s too delicate for the grill, and though delicious when deep-fried, I prefer it lightly sautéed in a skillet or roasted in a hot oven. At the store, look for fish with shiny moist skin and tightly adhering scales, signs of freshness. Don’t hesitate to ask the fishmonger for advice.
The only trick to cooking walleye is to not overcook it. It will be done in the oven or on the stove in 15 minutes or less, so be attentive. Walleye’s mild flavor welcomes assertive seasonings, so bring on the garlic, tomatoes, peppers, lemon-butter or ginger and lime.
It’s summertime, and the living is easy; with this Great Lakes fish, cooking is, too.
Sheet-Pan Walleye with Blistered Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6.
