Fishing trips provide the perfect opportunity to reel in fresh fish for tonight’s meal. There are many ways to prepare your catch, and if you bring home a few, you can vary your dishes throughout the week. Here are a few different methods you can use to cook freshly caught fish.

How to Serve Freshly Caught Fish

1. Baked

You’ll need to cut, clean, and fillet your fish before baking:

1. Slice the underside of the belly from the anal fin to the bottom of the gills, then cut along the gills to detach them from the body.
2. Gut the fish and rinse its insides in the sink until the water runs clear.
3. Use a fillet knife to remove the head, and cut through its body horizontally above the backbone, then turn the fish over to repeat the cut.
4. Carefully remove the skin.

After cutting and cleaning, you should have two fresh fillets. Use a lemon, butter, and garlic marinade for flavor and slather it generously over the fish. Baked lemon garlic fish offers a satisfying crunch, followed by a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. This style of preparation goes well with grilled veggies, like asparagus.

2. Fried

If the catch from your fishing excursion is about the size of a dinner plate, consider frying it whole. Make sure to remove the scales and gills, and slice the sides perpendicular to the backbone to speed up the cooking process.

Fry both sides of the fish in a large pan or wok until golden brown, then season it with salt and black pepper to taste. Place your fish on a bed of rice to balance the crunch and soak up the oil.

3. Grilled

Using the same method as you would when baking, clean and fillet your fish. Marinade the fillets in a mix of paprika, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and vegetable oil for two hours. When you place your fillets on the grill, flip it as the grill marks begin forming to prevent burning as fish cooks quickly. Once your fillets are grilled to perfection, serve them with sauteed spinach and a glass of champagne.

Preparing and cooking your own catch will give you an extra sense of pride when you serve the meal. If you want to catch your dinner, take a tour with Blue Nun Sport Fishing in Honolulu, HI. You’ll be equipped with everything needed to reel in a prize, and your guide, Captain Bob McCowan, will be ready to answer any questions and provide helpful tips. Call (808) 596-2443 to make a group reservation, or view their gallery of past fishing excursions online.