Alright, here is the second recipe in the great Utah Chub taste test. The first recipe I shared was for smoked Utah Chub. Today, this recipe is an Asian-Mex inspired dish. I scoured the internet for Utah Chub recipes and found zero, zilch, nada! I was forced to make up my own recipe for this dish and I will take full responsibility for how it turns out. This recipe combines flavors from the far east such as soy sauce, pickled carrots and green onions and spices such as jalapenos and cilantro from Mexico.

First, it is important to filet the fish to remove all the bones. Contrary to popular belief, this was not difficult and all fillets were boneless.

Here is how you filet a Utah Chub;

Rinse Fish and pat dry. Cut all the Pelvic Fins off

Remove the Dorsal Fin

Remove the Anal Fin. Slice from vent along backbone to tail.

Place knife under flesh at backbone and free ribs from flesh cutting upwards.

Slice along backbone to free Y Bones.

Pull up on back bone while pushing down on the flesh. Trim belly skin from fillets.

Cut Fillets in half. Place fillets in Buttermilk for 30- 60 minutes

Now it is time to prepare the quick pickled carrots. I use organic multi-colored carrots for taste and appearance. The pickled carrots will add a little Asian zing to the dish.

Peel carrots and slice. Cut carrots into thin sticks.

Cover Carrots with Rice vinegar and add a tbsp of kosher salt.

To make the Asian-Mex sauce you will need the following;

1 cup of mayonnaise,

1 jalapeno sliced in half with seeds removed,

3/4 cup of cilantro leaves,

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/4 cup of milk.

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until mixed and creamy.

Basic Asian-Mex sauce ingredients. Finished Asian-Mex Sauce.

Prepare flour coating for fish fillets.

The powder coating will add flavor and texture to this fish. I use the following seasonings to season my flour mixture. Feel free to use your favorite seasonings instead.

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup kosher salt

3 tablespoons black pepper

3 tablespoons oregano flakes

3 tablespoons parsley flakes

3 tablespoons thyme flakes

1/2 cup smoked paprika

2 tablespoons celery salt

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

Mix flour with all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and place buttermilk covered fillets into flour mixture and shake well. Place fillets into 1/2 inch of hot (350 degree) oil and cook until golden brown. Cooking time may vary but it should be finished in 3-5 minutes. Check fillets for doneness.

Drain the fried fish to remove excess oil.

Now it is time to build the fish taco.

Place two pieces of fish on tortilla. Place shredded cabbage over the fish.

Add sharp cheddar cheese to the taco. Add some pickled carrots.

Add some cilantro and green onions. Drizzle Asian-Mex sauce on taco.

Enjoy!

Once again, I was pleasantly surprised how good this recipe for Utah Chubs turned out. The fish taco’s were delicious and the Chub was delicate, white, semi-firm, with very little fishy flavor. You could serve these tacos to your friends and they would have no idea that they were eating Utah Chub. These tacos were as good as any catfish, trout, or cod fish taco. If you are throwing your chubs away or just sticking them in the freezer for bait you are missing out on a very delicious, mild flavored fish. I encourage you to try this recipe the next time you catch a nice fat Utah Chub. I think that the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources should promote the eating of Utah Chubs as an additional way to keep their numbers in check.

I still have some Chubs in the freezer and will try a different recipe on those the next time. I will share that recipe with you as well.