Cavappie

I don’t know why I like to eat whole fried bream and small crappie so much. I think it’s because they just taste so dad gum good. Biting off the crispy tails and fins, pulling the meat of the bone — “the nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat” grandma used to say” — it is just hard to beat. Can I get an Amen?

I still remember decades ago when my dad first saw me filet a bass. He clinched his teeth, bit his lip and asked, “you aren’t going to throw that backbone and rib piece away, are you?”

So, I guess it’s a bit to honor where I came from and the man who taught me to fish right along with how to enjoy the taste.

Oh, yes, there is one more thing. You see that picture up there? If you are old-school enough to eat whole fried fish, I bet you know what that springtime fish delicacy right between those fish and that hushpuppy is, too. If you do, you can stop right here and smile. If you don’t, you can just keep reading.

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It’s Crappie Cavair. Cavappie, if you please. Okay, FISH EGGS!

Fresh fish eggs right out of a 3/4 pound scaled and cleaned crappie. Clean ’em up real good, remove the little membrane, meal ’em and fry ’em just like a french fry. Put a little seasoning on them – but don’t add salt. They are already salty. The early season eggs are the best. Get ’em crisp and don’t dip ’em in anything.

Fish.  Sleep.  Eat Cavappie.