In Manitoba, pickerel is the local menu name for walleye. A shore lunch is a meal cooked outdoors after fishing, commonly bringing together fried fish, potatoes and beans.
This version uses a crisp, equal-parts flour and cornmeal coating, fries the potatoes in the same canola oil first, then cooks the fish at a higher temperature. Fresh-caught or commercially purchased walleye both work; follow current fishing rules and keep raw fish cold.
Step 1Keep the fish chilled at 4°C or colder until cooking. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator. Pat the fillets dry and cut them into 4 even portions if needed.
Step 2Cut the potatoes into batons about 1 cm thick. Dry them thoroughly with a clean towel; do not put damp potatoes into hot oil.
Step 3Pour the canola oil into a deep, heavy pot, making sure it fills no more than one-third of the pot. Heat it over a stable burner or a bed of settled coals to 175°C.
Step 4Fry the potatoes in small batches for 6–8 minutes, turning as needed, until golden and tender. Drain on a rack and season with 2 g of the measured salt. Keep warm while the fish cooks.
Step 5Raise the oil to 190°C. Meanwhile, warm the baked beans in a small saucepan over low heat. In a shallow dish, mix the flour, cornmeal, remaining 6 g salt, pepper and paprika; put the dipping water in a second dish.
Step 6Dip each dry fillet briefly in the water, let excess drip off, then press it into the coating on both sides. Shake off loose crumbs.
Step 7Fry the fillets in batches, without crowding, for about 4 minutes total, turning once after 2 minutes. The crust should be golden and the fish opaque. Check each thick piece with a clean thermometer; the centre must reach 70°C.
Step 8Lift the fish onto a clean rack or paper towels. Let the oil return to 190°C before the next batch. Keep cooked fish separate from the plate and utensils used for raw fish.
Step 9Serve immediately with the fries, warm beans, lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
This is best cooked and eaten outdoors while hot, but it also works on a home stove with a deep, heavy pot. Follow current local fishing rules when using your catch. At a summer shore lunch, keep raw fish in a cooler at or below 4°C and do not leave it unrefrigerated for more than 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat them to 74°C; fried potatoes are crispest when freshly cooked.
Approximate ingredient-based estimate per plate. It assumes roughly 60 mL of the frying oil is absorbed across the fish and potatoes and that about half of the dredging mix remains on the food; the rest is discarded. Brand, portion size and oil absorption change the values.
Contains fish (walleye) and wheat/gluten. Prepared tartar sauce commonly contains egg; check its label for egg and other allergens. Keep raw fish separate from ready-to-eat food, wash hands and equipment after handling it, keep it cold outdoors, and cook each fillet to 70°C in the centre. Hot oil is a burn and fire hazard: keep the pot no more than one-third full, dry the food, stay beside it, and never add water to hot oil or an oil fire.
In Manitoba menus, pickerel is a local name for walleye. Use skinless walleye fillets for this recipe.
