The largemouth bass is a lake water fish currently the most popular game fish species for anglers in the United States. Bass fishing is a favorite hobby among Americans, and many anglers practice a catch and release technique with the largemouth bass.
The fish is usually around 13-14 inches long and are found in both clear and murky water. This raises the question, can you eat largemouth bass. You absolutely can. Some anglers even consume Bass regularly.
What Does Largemouth Bass Taste Like?
Generally, the Bass assumes the taste and smell of the water they live in. So ideally, if you’re planning to eat the Bass, make sure it comes from clean, odorless water. The Bass from murky, unclean waters is not bound to taste good. Younger Bass will have more tender meat. Additionally, it’s easier to cook the smaller ones.
What Are the Best Ways to Cook Largemouth Bass?
Largemouth bass tastes best once filleted. Cleaning and filleting will come easy to you if you have experience. Make sure you cut and peel off all the skin. The fish must also be properly separated from the spine and ribs. There are different ways to cook the clean fillets:
- Pan-Frying: One of the most popular ways to eat largemouth bass is after pan-frying the cuts with a blend of spices. First, make a spice mix to rub on the fish meat and marinate the fish in it for an hour or so. After the fillets are well marinated, you must heat oil or butter in a pan and toss in the fillets. Bass takes longer to cook than other fish, so make sure the fish is cooked through. Toss the fish on all sides to make sure the fish is well roasted. Once it is well cooked, you can serve your Bass with vegetables or rice.
- Deep Frying: You can also deep fry largemouth bass instead of pan-frying it. This will help it cook faster and ensure that the fish is cooked through. Coat the fish fillets in a medium consistency spice mixture and then deep fry it. Using spice will also help remove any unpleasant odor the fish may have accumulated from its water.
- Batter Frying: One of the best ways to cook Bass is to fry it after dipping it in a lightly spiced batter of milk and flour or cornmeal and then coating it in breadcrumbs. Check to make sure the fillets are cooked through. Batter fried Bass goes well with sides like sweet potato fries and a drink on the side.
- Baking: Bass baked in an aluminum foil with a spice mix of your choice will also be a hit. Pepper, garlic powder, and salt work best for baked Bass. Adding some lemon juice will help boost the flavors.
- Curry: The chunky cuts of Bass are also ideal for a curry. You can stew the cuts in milk or coconut milk. You can also cook it down in gravy. Curried Bass would be a great side for rice or flatbread.
- Crab Cakes: Bass meat is ideal for crab cakes. You can mince the bass fillets using a blender and then shape the patties with a spice mix and bread crumbs. After the patties are shaped, deep fry them or pan roast them depending on how much oil you want to use. These patties go well with a salad.
Bottom Line
If the Bass was caught from murky, odorous water, it might be a good idea to release it. If the Bass was caught from fresh, clean water, then you can cook it. The largemouth bass is only gaining popularity in the food industry. There are, however, a good number of recipes you can try with this fish.
Whether it tastes good or not is a highly subjective thing depending mainly on where it was caught from. However, the simple answer to the question “can you eat largemouth bass?” is yes.
