Who has the best Recipe for Snook ? I need some Recipes :)

scarri3r

Eggers... OK..  Snook season starts again on Sept 1st and I'm ready to eat some.  Please let me know your best recipes with all the details on cooking snook in the BGE.   Do you all like to cook direct or indirect ?   What temp ?   Do you use the cedar plank ?   What marinades or seasonings do you all use ?  I'm hoping to get a lot of responses so that I can pick one that I can use this weekend.  

Thanks,

scarri3r

fljoemon

Whatever you do, make sure you take the skin off the fish. I got couple of them last year and they are really good on the grill. I just coated the filet with some lemon juice, olive oil and some Salmon Magic seasoning, set it on the grill for direct grilling at 350 and grilled it for 20 minutes each side. I was aiming for 145 degrees on the Thermapen. Or you can stick in a fork and see whether the meat separates easily. 

It is an awesome tasting fish, however not many people eat it :-)

scarri3r

fljoemon..... thx for the directions on the time and temp.  Yeah I always take off the snook skin because it has a soapy taste but thanks for the reminder... many people don't know that.  

I heard someone do 4 minutes a side at 400 F on a Weber Gas grill but not sure if that would transpose to the Egg. 

billybon

As children we ate snook at least 3 times a week and the only way mom prepared it was fried. She dipped the snook in a seasoned egg bath and then into ground saltine crackers. It was then fried at 350-375.

Now I am in my 60s and should eat less fried food. However, I still only fry snook.

scarri3r

billybon - your likes with snook are just like mine.  In the past, I have only deep fried my snook with some beer batter ( wet ) -   I'm trying to find some good EGG recipes to try something different.

I do enjoy a snook fried sang any time of the day.  

thx for the comment

scarri3r

Anybody else cook SNOOK on the egg ?  I used to cook Grouper around 400F on a bed of large lettuce leaves for about 5 minutes a side.  Need some advise guys and gals.

Thx,

scarri3r

SteveWPBFL

Bragger. Who gets snook? They're highly regulated now. People wouldn't eat them years ago until they learned to skin them, called them soapfish. What recipe could you need? Cook anyway you like until done (140F IT) spiced anyway you like, enjoy, and quit bragging. Or just send us some!

scarri3r

I wish I was bragging.. The fact is that I've waited almost 3 years to eat Snook!!!  I live on the Gulf in Florida and normally catch them between August and October on the flats in Johns Pass ( Treasure Island ).  Just before they head up into the back country to shield themselves from the cold.  Snook has been closed since 2010 on the Gulf Coast so I've been waiting patiently for the species to replenish itself.   I don't cook a lot of fish on the egg so that's why I'm asking.   Normally I'm just cooking turkey, ribs, and butts on the egg.  I don't want to screw up my catch  so shoot me the way you guys cook fish on the egg.  ( notice i left the word SNOOK out so that you don't get jealous ) 

scarri3r

PS - the season opens for 3 months starting on Sept 1st -  

billybon

How are you fishing for snook on the flats?

scarri3r

I fish from a kayak and normally use soft plastics, 1/4 oz gold spoons, or live green backs that I catch at my dock prior to heading out.  It's about a 10-15 minute paddle to get to Eleanor Island which has glass flats and oyster bars surrounding a bird sanctuary.  John's Pass in Treasure Island is loaded with sea trout, redfish, and snook ( snook when you can find them ).   There's a picture of a nice snook I caught last year in my orange kayak on my profile.  Below is my new rig and a nice Redfish I caught a couple weeks ago.  Normally I'm only fishing in 1 1/2 to 4 ft of water depending on the tides.

billybon

Scarri3r, nice YAK and redfish. I have a couple of Malibu X-Factors that we fish from in the Intracoastal (Palm Beach County) However, this time of year we mostly use the kayaks for alligator hunting.

I suspect that you frequently loose the tails on your soft plastics to puffer fish. Have you tried eating the puffers? They are my favorite!

sumoconnell

ahh I thought you were misspelling chinook salmon.  I was thinking a nice smoke would do just fine, and recommend spelling lessons.  Now I see I need the lesson

scarri3r

Not too many puffers recently but I do get my share of them and yes they do bite the tails off my soft plastics.  Hate when that happens!!!   I've never eaten the puffer but don't they have a poison in their spines ?  I try to keep it to redfish, trout and snook as it seems those are the best fish around where I live.  Occasionally we get some sea bass which is also good eats.  Need a lot of them though.

sumoconnell - well I probably need spelling lessons regardless.   I thought 350 and 20 minutes a side might be too much.   Others had said 400F a side for about 4-5 minutes.  Direct heat.... I'm lost when it comes to cooking fish on the egg.

billybon

You are correct, 20 minutes a side would be very bad. The reference to 145 (I prefer a little lower) target is not too bad but it should not take 20 minutes. A slot size snook is not going to produce that thick of a fillet.

As to the puffers, the poison is allegedly in the liver and not the spines. I have eaten thousands of puffers with no ill effect. If cleaned properly (much like a catfish) they are safe to consume. You owe it to yourself to try some "chicken of the sea".

 

scarri3r

Will do billybon -  Next one I catch I'll be looking for a good recipe!  Appreciate the tip.

So if I have a  1/2 to 3/4 inch filet of Snook or any other fish... What is the best temp and time for direct heat ?  Do you ever use the Cedar Wood Plank ?    I know with snook I like to keep it simple with the seasonings... maybe some light extra virgin olive oil, some old bay and lemon ?

billybon

scarri3r said:

Will do billybon -  Next one I catch I'll be looking for a good recipe!  Appreciate the tip.

So if I have a  1/2 to 3/4 inch filet of Snook or any other fish... What is the best temp and time for direct heat ?  Do you ever use the Cedar Wood Plank ?    I know with snook I like to keep it simple with the seasonings... maybe some light extra virgin olive oil, some old bay and lemon ?

Salt, pepper and butter (or EVOO) up to  2 minutes per side over direct heat (350-400). Use a fillet basket if worried about fillet sticking to the hot grill. Fish is ready when opaque and flakes easily.

scarri3r

Thanks man.  I appreciate it and will give it a try.  ( hopefully sometime this weekend with a fresh catch )

Enjoy the long weekend.

billybon

Good luck snook fishing tomorrow. Post a picture of your catch.

Don't forget to try the toadfish.

td66snrf

I thought  Snook was that short chick from Jersey.