Fried Northern Pike and Peach Cherry Tomato Salad
This colorful Fried Northern Pike and Peach Cherry Tomato Salad with a delicious herb vinaigrette is an epic combo and summer on a plate. It makes the perfect dinner to enjoy out on the patio with friends and family. Sweet peaches and cherries, juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and salad greens all tossed together when you are craving something fresh and flavorful.It's all of my wife's favorite things on one plate and comes together in just 30 minutes.CAN YOU EAT NORTHERN PIKE?I've had people pull me aside at events, look me dead in the eye, and ask, "Do you really eat northern pike?" And my answer is always a resounding, "YES!" We catch, keep, and eat a lot of pike in our house.Northern Pike have a firm white flesh with a mild flavor that is absolutely delicious. But most people are repulsed with how slimy they are when they pull them out of the water. And pike can be a very intimidating fish to clean because of all those wretched "Y" bones no one wants to serve up to guests at the dinner table.This video from the North Dakota Game & Fish Department is a great tutorial for everyone to watch and learn how to remove the "Y" bones from Northern Pike so you can end up with a beautiful boneless fillet perfect to fry up and put on top of this summer salad.HERB VINAIGRETTETo make this recipe we want to start with the vinaigrette, which is essential when it comes to extra flavor on this peach tomato salad. I made an olive oil cider vinaigrette with a small amount of seasoning and plenty of herbs, including fresh chives. The chives add a nice subtle flavor, while the herbs and freshly squeezed lemon juice brighten things up.For the herbs, I picked everything fresh from our backyard garden, going heavy on the basil and oregano, then adding a pinch of lemon thyme. You can use any combination of herbs you prefer, but when it comes to a summer salad with peaches and tomatoes, I always suggest everyone add fresh basil.SHOPPING AT YOUR LOCAL FARMER'S MARKETFor the salad, you need fresh cherry tomatoes, peaches, and sweet cherries which are all plentiful at local grocery stores, farmer's markets, CSAs, and roadside and farmstands this time of year. There are currently more than 50 farmer's markets in North Dakota, including the Red River Market in Fargo and the Bismarket in Bismarck, North Dakota.Shopping at your local farmer's market is a great solution to two major challenges facing our society: concerns about our family's diet and health, and the disappearance of small farming operations. By purchasing locally grown products, you can serve fresher products to your children, and create new markets for local farmers. HOW TO MAKE PEACH TOMATO SALADWe’re going to toss the peach tomato salad with the herb vinaigrette, then let the tomatoes, peaches, and cherries sit and marinate for a few minutes while we make the fried northern pike to develop and bring out those delicious flavors. However, you don't want to add the salad greens until just before serving. Otherwise, you'll end up with a soggy mess.To serve, I like arranging the salad on a large serving platter. Then I take the fried northern pike and place it on top of the salad. Finish it off by allowing everyone at the table to choose whether or not they want to drizzle a little of the reserved herb vinaigrette over everything, then add a sprinkle of good kosher salt.FRIED NORTHERN PIKEFried fish is always a favorite on the dinner table for a reason: Crispy on the outside, with flaky white meat on the inside. The method I use here is a simple light coating of flour seasoned with Sazon Goya. This seasoning is my secret to creating the authentic flavors of Latino Cuisine while helping brighten up our favorite meals with its main ingredients of saffron and turmeric.This fried northern pike recipe works with all firm, white fish. I've made variations of this summer salad using North Dakota walleye, perch, and catfish.BEST OIL TO FRY FISHThe best oil to fry fish is canola oil because of its high smoke point, and because North Dakota is the leading producer of canola. My mission is to always promote everything North Dakota, and canola oil is an easy sell when it comes to making fried northern pike because canola oil can go up to 400 degrees F without burning.That being said, you want to keep the oil as close to 350 degrees F as you can to get a really nice crispy fried fish. The most common mistake people make when frying fish either getting too hot, or not letting the oil get hot enough before adding the fish to the pan. Cool oil makes for greasy fish. If you are frying the fish in batches, be sure and allow the oil temperature to return to 350 degrees F before adding the rest of the fish to the pan.MORE FISH RECIPESFish is one of my wife's favorite dishes for me to prepare for her when she comes home from work to join me for lunch. If you’re looking for another delicious fish recipe from Wild Game & Fish, check out some of our favorites below:– Pan Seared Northern Pike and Radish Greens Salad– Smoked Fish Dip– Mediterranean Fish Salad– Coconut Crusted Fish– Lahori Fish– Lemon Butter Baked Fish– Fish Pozole– Pickled Northern PikeCOME AND CATCH NORTHERN PIKE IN NORTH DAKOTAIf you would like to visit North Dakota and catch some northern pike so you can make this northern pike recipe, check out details at the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYSign up here to receive a new recipe in your email inbox every Tuesday morning!If you make this Fried Northern Pike and Peach Cherry Tomato Salad, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! When you post a pic of your finished dish on Instagram, be sure and use the hashtag #wildgameandfish and then tag me @wildgameandfish so I can share it on my Instagram stories. If you have another great northern pike recipe you'd love to share, I'd love to hear about it. You can email me at: jeffinfargo@gmail.comDid you enjoy this Fried Northern Pike Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
HERB VINAIGRETTE
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice + zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
SALAD
- 1 cup pitted fresh cherries
- 2 peaches, sliced into wedges
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half if large
- 6 cups mixed salad greens
NORTHERN PIKE
- 1 pound boneless, skinless northern pike fillets
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons Sazon Goya seasoning
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
- canola oil, for frying
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Shake herb vinaigrette ingredients up in a jar. Taste and adjust to get it just right for how you like it.
- In a large bowl toss the tomatoes, peaches, and cherries with 1/2 of the herb vinaigrette. Let sit about 15 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the fish.
- Pat northern pike fillets dry with paper towels, cut into 3- to 4-inch-long pieces, and then sprinkle them with kosher salt.
- Place the flour and Sazon Goya seasoning onto a large plate or pie tin and whisk together with a fork. Combine egg and water in second pie tin.
- Coat fish in flour, then egg, and then back into the flour again.
- Pour 1-inch of canola oil into a large skillet or Dutch oven. Place skillet over large burner and heat oil over medium high heat. until it reaches 350 degrees F.
- Gently set coated fish into hot oil and fry about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer fried fish to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add mixed salad greens to the large bowl with the tomatoes, peaches, and cherries and add half of the remaining herb vinaigrette. You can toss the mixture together with tongs, but I often just use my hands.
- Divide salad and the fried fish among 4 large plates and serve remaining herb vinaigrette on the side for those who desire a little extra.
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5 Responses
Gorgeous!
What a terrific salad! I guess I can use other firm fish too for this.
Colorful and delicious!
Loved this salad! Nice change to my standard salads I usually eat in the summer.
Thanks Melissa. Glad you liked it.