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  • Welcome!
  • Air Frying
  • Main Dishes - Menu
  • Appetizers & Beverages
  • Desserts & Sweets
  • Grill Time!
  • Seafood and Fish
  • Side Dishes
  • Soups & Stews
  • Pressure Cooking
  • Contact
My Food Fantasia

Grill Time!

Cajun Smoked Walleye

7/5/2016

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Did you know that Independence Day is the "most grilled day" of the year, followed by Memorial Day and then Labor Day? About 70% of grilling households in the U.S. are grilling up something on this "most grilled day!"

We are big time "grill-aholics" here! We have a Baby Weber grill, which works great for things like burgers, steaks, chicken, seafood, fish, kabobs, etc. However, our favorite grill is our Mak 2-Star General smoker grill, which we've had for about 6 years. We've made some amazing food on the smoker grill...pork shoulder, pork ribs, brisket, prime rib, beer can chicken, rack of lamb, lamb roast, turkey, goose, duck, and salmon, and have also smoked almonds and a variety of cheeses. Yummo!

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We were looking for something "different" to grill for the 4th of July this year, and we decided to use the Mak smoker grill to cook up some walleye! I grew up eating walleye frequently (especially in the summer...lake time/fishing time!), and they are my all-time FAVORITE fish! Mild, non-fatty, clean-tasting, flaky, and delicious! The most common ways that I've eaten walleye have been baked (or microwaved) in some butter with some light salt/pepper, or by batter-frying served with a delicious mayo/horseradish-based sauce. (I'm drooling just a little bit at the moment!) With our love of the smoker grill and a little bit of research, hubby and I decided to make some Cajun Smoked Walleye!

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used a cedar plank to cook the fish, partly because the fish wouldn't end up sticking to the grill grates or grill mat (and the plank was easy to put on/take off the grill), and partly to see if the plank would impart some flavor to the fish. The cedar plank needs at least 2 hours of time to soak in water, so you need to do that well in advance of firing up the grill.

With some good ol' walleye from the Columbia River in hand, I de-boned the fillets. With the cedar plank removed from the water bath and dabbed with paper towels (so no water was dripping from it), I sprayed the plank with some vegetable oil cooking spray, then laid the fish out on the plank, lightly coating the fillets with vegetable oil cooking spray. Then a sprinkle of some Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning on the fish...and onto the smoker grill with the planked fish, using alder pellets for the cooking process.
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About 1-1/2 hours later, my Thermapen instant-read thermometer confirmed that the flaky fish was indeed at 140 degrees Fahrenheit...time to eat! Wow...that was some really great-tasting fish! Two thumbs up! I served the yummy walleye with Macaroni-Coleslaw Pasta Salad and some simple baked beans. (By the way, any leftovers are amazingly delish served cold on crackers!)


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Here are some helpful tips if you want to give smoker grilling fish a try. Happy Grilling!

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Honey-Miso Glazed Chicken

6/15/2016

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Grilling is a pretty big thing here at our house, regardless of the season of the year. My hubby is willing to put up with wind, rain, snow, or summertime heat…it’s all for the love of grilling! When it’s time to grill, I’m hubby’s “sous chef” and do all of the prep work (as well as making the accompanying side dishes), but I leave the grilling part up to him. Whether it’s steak, burgers, seafood, fish, pork, lamb, chicken, or veggies, there’s something magically delicious about grilling! Sometimes we use marinades, sometimes rubs, or sometimes just simple salt & pepper. 

I’m always searching for recipe ideas! I’ve recently been on an “Asian-inspired” foodie venture. (I think this came about after I FINALLY purchased a wok a few months ago!) I knew that grilled chicken was going to be on the menu for the weekend, so I did some research to find an Asian-inspired marinade…and Honey-Miso Glazed Chicken was the result! And, WOW…was it ever GOOD!! The miso adds some saltiness, and the honey balances out the little bit of heat from the sambal oelek (Thai chili paste), Sriracha, and crushed red pepper flakes. This marinade would also be great on shrimp or scallops, too! I decided to serve this with a grilled portobello and white truffle & parmesan couscous, and also a simple lettuce salad. Enjoy!
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Honey-Miso Glazed Chicken

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup white miso paste
1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek (Thai chili paste) (or more for more heat)
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt (optional, depending on the saltiness of the miso you’re using; see NOTE)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
About 4 to 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients (from honey through garlic powder). Place the chicken into a ziplock bag and pour about half of the marinade into the bag with the chicken; move chicken around in bag to distribute. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour to 2 hours, shaking the chicken around in the bag at least once to redistribute the marinade. Be sure refrigerate the remaining marinade until it’s time to grill.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place chicken on heated grill, and discard bag and any glaze left in the bag. Brush some of the remaining glaze (from the leftovers that you refrigerated) over the tops of the chicken pieces. Grill for about 5 minutes; then flip and brush chicken with more of the glaze. Grill for about another 5 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through).
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Note: Some miso paste is extremely salty, so additional salt may not be needed, so be sure to taste before adding any salt.
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