Walleye Toast With Lemon Caper Aioli
A little while ago, my dad and brother went on a fishing trip to Lake Erie. When they returned, they came home with 50 pounds of fresh Walleye! My dad makes a few different Walleye dishes that are absolutely amazing, but quite indulgent... I'm talking soaked in butter and milk, then fried. So, I decided to do a healthy take on one of my favorite types of fish. This recipe is super easy to prepare and tastes delicious!
This idea came from Hewing Hotel's restaurant, Tullibee, in Minneapolis. In the summer of 2017, they featured a Walleye Toast on the lunch menu that was so tasty and unique! Since then, I have been inspired to recreate the dish hungry willow style.
For this recipe, I decided to cook the fish using a poaching method. It keeps the fish moist and light in calories, and doesn't sacrifice flavor. For the poaching liquid, I used water, lemon juice, butter, onion, carrots, celery, peppercorn, and herbs.
The aioli yields more than 4 servings, but you are going to want this stuff stocked in your fridge. It's tangy, a little spicy, and citrusy – the perfect addition to any sandwich, burger, or wrap. Trust me!
This recipe would also be perfect as crostini!
Walleye toast with lemon caper aioli
Servings: 4 toasts
Ingredients
4 large Walleye filets
2 cups of filtered water
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 of an onion, roughly diced
2 carrots, roughly diced
3 celery stalks, whole
1/2 tablespoon of peppercorns
1 bayleaf
2 sprigs of thyme
4 large slices of sourdough bread
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Pinch of salt
Handful of microgreens or sprouts, for garnish
For the aioli
2/3 cup mayonnaise of choice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon of capers
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Rinse and pat dry Walleye filets, then place in a large saucepan. Add water, lemon juice, butter, diced onion and carrots, celery stalks, peppercorns, bayleaf, and thyme. If fish is not fully covered in the poaching liquid, add water until fish are fully submerged.
2. Bring the poaching liquid to a simmer over medium heat, and cook fish for about 10 minutes or until the center of the fish seems opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the toast and aioli. Place the four slices of sourdough onto a baking tray and brush both sides with olive oil. Broil for 2 minutes on each side, or until the bread is toasted to your liking.
4. For the aioli, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy.
5. Once the fish is done, transfer to a medium sized dish using a slotted spatula. Pour a few tablespoons of poaching liquid over fish, and let cool for two minutes.
6. To assemble the toasts, take two to three tablespoons of aioli and spread on toast with the back of the spoon. Next, gently flake apart the filets into large chunks and divide into four servings. Place each serving on individual toasts and sprinkle salt on top. Garnish with sprouts, and enjoy!
