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Q. “I do love a traditional Friday Fish Fry, but it’s getting to be a bit much. What are some other ways to prepare walleye and panfish? (Bluegill is my favorite.)” —Kathi, Omro

A. I also love the Wisconsin tradition of the Friday Night Fish Fry! Since we don’t go out for fish every week, and we don’t fry in our house nor do I own a deep fryer, my favorite alternative way to prepare walleye and panfish like, bluegill, is to oven fry them. To do this, I preheat my oven to about 400° F. I place aluminum foil on a shallow baking pan to make cleanup much easier. Then I use nonstick pan spray on the foil, so the fish won’t stick. Then I dredge (flour) the fish on both sides with seasoned flour. You can make your own or use any of the numerous breading mixes available on the market with the same results. Then I sprinkle a layer of panko crumbs on top of the fish to add a desirable crunch and protect the fish from the heat of the oven. It is important to spray the panko crumbs heavily with pan spray before baking the fish for about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Chef Jeff’s Oven Fried Catfish Fingers

1 pound catfish fillets, cut in strips
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 fresh, large egg
¼ cup milk Milk
¼ cup water
1¼ cups Panko crumbs (approximately)
Pan spray (as needed)

Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Combine the flour, Old Bay Seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper to make the seasoned flour.
Combine the egg, milk and water to make the egg wash.

Set up a 5 step breading station:
1. Catfish strips, 2. Seasoned flour, 3. Egg wash, 4. Panko crumbs and 5. Sprayed baking pan.

Coat each catfish strip in the flour, egg wash and Panko crumbs and place each strip on the sprayed baking pan.
Roast (oven fry) the catfish strips for 18-20 minutes, rotating your pan halfway through the baking process.
Serve immediately with an appropriate sauce like tartar or remoulade.