Recipe: Pike Egg Drop Soup

[LMI]

They call em snakes, hammer handles, spawn of satan... the poor Northern Pike.   They are somewhat slimy, they have a stronger flavor than pickerel, and the bones... If these things were boneless there would be none left on the planet I am certain.  There are boneless filet techniques for Pike but I think the main reason people can't take them apart is because they don't know how they are put together.  Learn the lore of the pike and it will open a new world.  Regardless I love Pike and I think they are an under utilized resource. Ground pike balls are not the only way.  Especially pre-May opener, or even may opener (we had snow last year) when the weather is cold, one of the ways to get around all the bones even with the boneless techniques is to cube the meat and make soup.

Here is my recipe

• In a large pot cube (1/2" x 1/2") 4 medium potatoes and 2 large carrots.
• Coarsely slice 1/2 a large white onion.
• Cube up 2-3 stalks of celery ( I like to use the celery core, it tends to be a little bitter to eat but has the leafy sprouts that act with a parsley).  If I use the core I add 2 more stalks, otherwise 3.
• Fill with water (to a point where it won't boil over)… yeah I know not that accurate but its a bish recipe... we don't measure
• Black pepper to taste
• 2-3 heaping table spoons of powdered chicken broth (this is also the salt, I don't add salt)
• bring all to a boil and simmer until potatoes an carrots are tender
• add cubed pike meat, and raise temp until it is all at vigorous boil (the pike will be easily cooked by this time.
• In a small bowl crack 2 full eggs and coarsely wisk it with a fork and drizzle into the boiling water
• remove pot from heat and serve (warn starving bush guests not to melt their face on the nuclear soup)

This is super easy for camp, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery (celery less so) can keep for a long time.  The powered soup broth is shelf worthy.  We use potable water we cart in.  Just need the fresh pike.

Enjoy.... I do !

[Ajmboy]

I've caught pickerel and they are very bony fish as well as have some nasty teeth...

[LMI]

When I clean a pickeral I make the following cuts.

* angled but verticle from belly to behind head.

* from behind head to rear dorsal with knife ripe only following the rib cage not cutting through it.

* at rear dorsal penetrate knife through along spine exiting in bottom center line tail side of the anus

* follow spine to remove fillet to tail.

* back to head of fish, feather (follow ribs) our the rib cage.  Remove fillet from carcass.

* skin the fillet.

* at this point laying the fillet flat running you hand along it you will still feel bones.  These can be removed by making a VERY narrow V out of the fillet just above and below the lateral line about the length of the rib cage

This leaves the fillet looking “forked” at the shoulder to about half way back on the fillet but boneless.

 

ive seen other techniques that seem to be faster where they slab off the side ribs and all lift the first few ribs and pull them out which also removes these additional bones, then skin it.  It seems way faster.  I tried but seem to rip off too much meat

[quadmaniac]

@LMI great info and recipe. What bait or lure do you use to catch walleye and pickerel? I usually catch a pickerel "by accident" when I'm bass fishing using rubber works or rapala lures.