Can you eat Zander?
In this brief article, we will answer the question, “Can you eat Zander?” and provide information on Zander as well as methods to cook Zander.
Can you eat Zander?
Yes, you can eat Zander. Zander has hard but tender meat which can be very delicious to consume. Though Zander is not generally bred for consumption, it has white flaky flesh which is very tasty to consume.
It can be quite bony so it would be better to skin the fillet of the Zander to consume it.
What is a Zander?
It is also called as Sander or Pike-perch. It is a predatorial invasive species of fish that hunts in packs. It is usually found in Europe and North America.
How does Zander taste?
Zander has a creamy texture and a mild flavor. It has a delicate flavor and tender meat usually served with a little butter.
How does zander look like?
Zander usually has a greenish-brown color. It has a white or cream-colored belly. It has a double dorsal fin and has two sharp teeth in the front of its mouth. It is usually 15 to 39 inches in size.
The Zander also has 18-24 soft rays and 13-20 spines in its dorsal fin. It also has large opaque-shaped eyes which help them to detect prey even in cloudy water.
Where can Zander be found?
Zander can be found in murky or dirty water. Deep rivers, freshwater bodies, or canals are the perfect places to find a Zander. You can catch Zander by attaching a live bait to your fishing rod but a dead bait would work better as the live bait has the potential to scare it away.
How to cook Zander?
You can either pan-fry Zander or even bake them in an oven if you do not like excess oil over your fish. Two recipes or methods to cook Zander are given below.
Pan-fried Zander on lentil salad
Ingredients
- 500 gms of zander fillet
- ½ cup of lentils
- 100 gms trout fillet
- ¼ cup spring onions
- ¼ cup carrot
- ¼ cup onion
- ¼ cup potato
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50 gms celery root
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- A piece of ginger
- Few garlic cloves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- Salt to taste
- Butter to taste
- Pepper to taste
Method
- Soak the lentils for at least 2 hours. After the soaking period, cook the lentils in water for 20-25 minutes. Finely dice the carrots, spring onions, celery root, and potatoes. Slice the onions and keep them aside.
- Smoke the trout fillet and keep it aside.
- In a pot, heat olive oil. Add all the diced vegetables except the spring onions into the pot and saute. Add the vegetable stock along with ginger, garlic, and cinnamon stick. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, remove the ginger, garlic, and cinnamon from the pot. This is an optional step and you can keep them in the pot itself if required.
- Add the trout fillet along with the spring onions and mix well. Add salt with pepper too. You can remove the stock if you feel it is too much water but there should be a little bit of stock to cover the lentils.
- In another pan, heat olive oil. Slice the Zander into small serving pieces and coat them in salt and flour. Place it in the pan.
- When the Zander turns crispy, flip them over to let the other side of the Zander cook as well. Add a little bit of butter and you can remove excess butter using a towel if required.
- On a plate, place a little bit of lentil salad. Place the Zander on top of the lentil bed and serve.
Baked Zander
Ingredients
- 1 Zander
- 100 ml white wine
- 2-3 tsp lemon juice
- 1 spring onion
- ¼ cup fennel
- 1 cup potatoes
- Salt to taste
- Butter as required
Method
- Preheat the oven to 210 degrees. In an oven-proof bowl, place a foil. Place the fish in the foil. Add the butter and fold the foil from the edges.
- Split the fennel and place it over the fish. Add the diced potatoes along with salt and wine over the fish.
- In the oven, bake the fish for at least 20 minutes. The fish should have an internal temperature of at least 50 degrees.
- Chop the spring onions and add them over the fish. Pan-fry the sourdough bread and consume the bread along with this dish.
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have answered the question, “Can you eat Zander?” and provide information on Zander as well as methods to cook Zander.
References
http://londonfishmonger.blogspot.com/2009/11/zander-coming-to-canal-or-diner-plate.html
