Outdoor Fish Fryer Advice

[Tarheel]

I'm thinking about buying one for use this Spring and Summer...I was wondering if any of you had one and if you could recommend one.  I'm not looking for anything too "gourmet"; just something functional for frying fish and potatoes and perhaps with enough BTUs to do a seafood or crawfish boil if I get adventurous.  Suggestions?

[CCTAU]

Well then you are not looking for a fryer. You are looking for a cooker. The guy down at the beach use a 2 basket 4 gallon propane fryer. It is the bomb. The name is Cajun something. I'll have to look it up

[Townhallsavoy]

http://cajunrocketpot.com/

[GH2001]

Hey now, you are a Carolinian. Aren't you supposed to be grilling trout?

I keed. Fried Catfish is the roxxers. If you want hushpuppies and catfish, you want a deep fryer. But like CCT said, from reading your post it sounds like you want a cooker.

[CCTAU]

This is the one we use at the beach.


http://www.wulfoutdoorsports.com/shop/products/Cajun-Fryer-4-Gallon-Economy-Fryer.html

[AU_Tiger_2000]

I go cheap I guess.  I have a cheap single burner propane fryer, for frying fish I just bring out my Dutch oven from the kitchen to use with it.  For boiling shrimp, crawfish, or frying turkey's I have large stainless steel pot with a basket.  Stainless pot cost more than the cooker.

Something like this is all you need.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-2212-Aluminum-Outdoor/dp/B000291GC0/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1334935169&sr=1-2

And get this to go with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-1118-32-Quart-Stainless/dp/B0009K8SJ6/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1334935226&sr=1-2

[Tarheel]

Thanks for the advice!  I knew y'all were the right folk to ask.  I've done plenty of fish-frying on teh stove-top (it's really the only way we used to eat fish growing up in the Piedmont-Triad area outside of church and community fish fries).  Not that I ever get tired of grilling any kind of meat but I like some variety sometimes and I've been wanting to cook more fish lately.

Follow-up questions...breading or batter and what are your favorites?

I have a very simple breading that I use which starts from a mix I buy from The Old Mill of Guildford near where I grew up; basically a yellow corn meal that I doctor-up with Old Bay, lemon-pepper, and kosher salt...of course using an egg to assist with adherence to the fish.

Hey now, you are a Carolinian. Aren't you supposed to be grilling trout?

I keed. Fried Catfish is the roxxers. If you want hushpuppies and catfish, you want a deep fryer. But like CCT said, from reading your post it sounds like you want a cooker.

I actually do like teh Trout and fried Catfish (I have a funny comment about that) but my favorite fish for frying is Flounder.  And I have fried Tilapia and Perch.

Regarding Catfish: I used to work for a Japanese company back in the 90s and in a conversation with one of the Japanese interns about American food he asked if I ate Catfish, I said of course, it's a southern thing.  He said very seriously: "We do not eat cat-fish in Japan...it eat shit."

[JR4AU]

Thanks for the advice!  I knew y'all were the right folk to ask.  I've done plenty of fish-frying on teh stove-top (it's really the only way we used to eat fish growing up in the Piedmont-Triad area outside of church and community fish fries).  Not that I ever get tired of grilling any kind of meat but I like some variety sometimes and I've been wanting to cook more fish lately.

Follow-up questions...breading or batter and what are your favorites?

I have a very simple breading that I use which starts from a mix I buy from The Old Mill of Guildford near where I grew up; basically a yellow corn meal that I doctor-up with Old Bay, lemon-pepper, and kosher salt...of course using an egg to assist with adherence to the fish.

I actually do like teh Trout and fried Catfish (I have a funny comment about that) but my favorite fish for frying is Flounder.  And I have fried Tilapia and Perch.

Regarding Catfish: I used to work for a Japanese company back in the 90s and in a conversation with one of the Japanese interns about American food he asked if I ate Catfish, I said of course, it's a southern thing.  He said very seriously: "We do not eat cat-fish in Japan...it eat shit."

Maybe their catfish does, but American Farm raised eats top water feed.  With the availability of catfish as an affordable fish, not to mention Grouper, Flounder, and Snapper, it amazes me that Tilapia is eaten here in the south. 

[GH2001]

Thanks for the advice!  I knew y'all were the right folk to ask.  I've done plenty of fish-frying on teh stove-top (it's really the only way we used to eat fish growing up in the Piedmont-Triad area outside of church and community fish fries).  Not that I ever get tired of grilling any kind of meat but I like some variety sometimes and I've been wanting to cook more fish lately.

Follow-up questions...breading or batter and what are your favorites?

I have a very simple breading that I use which starts from a mix I buy from The Old Mill of Guildford near where I grew up; basically a yellow corn meal that I doctor-up with Old Bay, lemon-pepper, and kosher salt...of course using an egg to assist with adherence to the fish.

I actually do like teh Trout and fried Catfish (I have a funny comment about that) but my favorite fish for frying is Flounder.  And I have fried Tilapia and Perch.

Regarding Catfish: I used to work for a Japanese company back in the 90s and in a conversation with one of the Japanese interns about American food he asked if I ate Catfish, I said of course, it's a southern thing.  He said very seriously: "We do not eat cat-fish in Japan...it eat shit."

You best tell Fujiyaki Toyota to recognize:

http://www.loneleeplanet.com/2010/02/10-weird-japanese-foods/

And JR is right, farm fed catfish feed at the top. My grandfather actually raised catfish for a living on his farm.

And your suggestion of breading is fine. Cornmeal and/or Old Bay is simple and good. Fried Catfish ain't something that needs to be complicated.

[Tarheel]

You best tell Fujiyaki Toyota to recognize:

http://www.loneleeplanet.com/2010/02/10-weird-japanese-foods/

And JR is right, farm fed catfish feed at the top. My grandfather actually raised catfish for a living on his farm.

And your suggestion of breading is fine. Cornmeal and/or Old Bay is simple and good. Fried Catfish ain't something that needs to be complicated.

I roared at reading that (not to mention the link)...good thing I'm the only one in the west wing of my office today!

[Tarheel]

Maybe their catfish does, but American Farm raised eats top water feed.  With the availability of catfish as an affordable fish, not to mention Grouper, Flounder, and Snapper, it amazes me that Tilapia is eaten here in the south.

It's not my first go-to; GarMan and I have laughed about the reputation of that fish and I think that's the fish he's told me that he and his dad used to use it for bait when he was a kid.

[GH2001]

It's not my first go-to; GarMan and I have laughed about the reputation of that fish and I think that's the fish he's told me that he and his dad used to use it for bait when he was a kid.

Aside from Catfish, Flounder is my favorite.

[JR4AU]

It's not my first go-to; GarMan and I have laughed about the reputation of that fish and I think that's the fish he's told me that he and his dad used to use it for bait when he was a kid.

I doubt that.  I was farmed in the US back in the 80s and 90s, primarily for Asian restaurants.  It's popularity as an American food fish started to grow in the 90s.  It can only be farmed here, it can't survive in the wild as they die in water temps below 45-62 degrees, depending on the strand of Tilapia.

[JR4AU]

Aside from Catfish, Flounder is my favorite.

Grouper and Snapper are mine, but too expensive to eat often.

[Tarheel]

I doubt that.  I was farmed in the US back in the 80s and 90s, primarily for Asian restaurants.  It's popularity as an American food fish started to grow in the 90s.  It can only be farmed here, it can't survive in the wild as they die in water temps below 45-62 degrees, depending on the strand of Tilapia.

Well, I'm no expert and I may have misheard his comment...but I'm not so sure...as a kid he used to fish with his Dad in the power plant discharge areas near Miami. 

Anyway, I'll ask him when he gets back from his Vay-Cay in Key West.

[JR4AU]

Well, I'm no expert and I may have misheard his comment...but I'm not so sure...as a kid he used to fish with his Dad in the power plant discharge areas near Miami. 

Anyway, I'll ask him when he gets back from his Vay-Cay in Key West.

That's possible I guess.  I've read where it's been introduced there, and there's a fear it will eventually find it's way in to the Everglades.

[Tarheel]

Grouper and Snapper are mine, but too expensive to eat often.

Meant to say that I like both; you are right that they are far too expensive to eat often.

I did buy some swordfish steaks several weeks back; GarMan and I grilled them and they were phenomenal (and phenomenally expensive but worth every bite).

[AUTiger1]

Aside from Catfish, Flounder is my favorite.

Halibut is my favorite fish and I am not talking about the kind around here in restaurants and markets.   I am talking about that you get fresh in Anchorage or Fairbanks.  My God! 

Too bad I only get up there about once a year, but when I do, I make myself sick on it I eat so much.

[Snaggletiger]

The wife's family and my buddy always do several fish fries a year.  We'll normally catch a bunch of bream, crappie and cats on Eufaula or cook up the ones my buddy and I catch on the St. Johns.  We always make it kind of a big deal.  I made an attempt to get involved in the cooking several years back and bought the tank, stand, huge metal cooking pot and basket at Lowe's.  Found out after 3-4 fries that I'd much rather let them do the cooking while I stand there, drink beer and talk shit about who caught the biggest, smallest and how the sumbitch driving the boat kept putting me out in the deep water in the back of the boat while he eased up to the structure off the front.  At least that's my excuse.

 As far as salt water fish, I think mahi is my all around favorite. Always a solid, clean tasting fish.  Snapper can be excellent but more often than not, it seems to have an overpowering "Fishy" taste.  Used to think that was just because I would normally buy it and it was due to it being previously frozen, but I've had it be strong fresh off the boat.  Scamp is another cut that I've never had a bad piece of meat. 

[JR4AU]

The wife's family and my buddy always do several fish fries a year.  We'll normally catch a bunch of bream, crappie and cats on Eufaula or cook up the ones my buddy and I catch on the St. Johns.  We always make it kind of a big deal.  I made an attempt to get involved in the cooking several years back and bought the tank, stand, huge metal cooking pot and basket at Lowe's.  Found out after 3-4 fries that I'd much rather let them do the cooking while I stand there, drink beer and talk shit about who caught the biggest, smallest and how the sumbitch driving the boat kept putting me out in the deep water in the back of the boat while he eased up to the structure off the front.  At least that's my excuse.

 As far as salt water fish, I think mahi is my all around favorite. Always a solid, clean tasting fish.  Snapper can be excellent but more often than not, it seems to have an overpowering "Fishy" taste.  Used to think that was just because I would normally buy it and it was due to it being previously frozen, but I've had it be strong fresh off the boat.  Scamp is another cut that I've never had a bad piece of meat.

Can't say that I've even had bad snapper.  And I do like scamp too.  Forgot about that one.