Freshwater Feasts

By Todd Marsee, Michigan Sea Grant graphic designer

I enjoy making seafood recipes for my family, and they’re a little different every time depending on what’s available in the refrigerator or garden. I recently whipped up these tasty grilled walleye sandwiches with slaw and sage.

When trying a new recipe with Great Lakes fish, it’s hard to go wrong with walleye. These native fish are a member of the perch family and thrive in warmer, shallower waters like Saginaw Bay and Lake Erie. Whether you catch your own or buy from a local fish market, walleye fillets are a great fit for this flavorful sandwich.

Try it for yourself!

The components are simple and easy to customize to your tastes:

• Walleye fillets
• Grilling seasonings like butter, sea salt, garlic powder, freshly chopped herbs (I used sage in this recipe)
• Brioche or pretzel buns
• Tartar sauce
• Cole slaw

How to grill and season Great Lakes walleye

Take some time to remove as many bones as you can. Look closely, especially on the shoulder (thicker) side of the fillet.

For best results, get the grill hot, put the meat-side down on grill for 1 minute, then flip to the skin-side and cook until done, about 7-9 minutes (depending on the thickness).

When I made these sandwiches, I seasoned the fillets after flipping them from meat- to skin-side down. I buttered all the fish, then sprinkled to taste with sea salt, garlic powder, and freshly chopped sage from our garden.

For the cole slaw

Shred green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots to fill about 3 cups. Then add 3 tablespoons of honey and 1 1/2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. You can adjust the measurements to taste. Stir all this together really well.

I chose a slaw recipe without mayonnaise, since the tartar sauce will add its own creamy texture to the sandwich. But feel free to substitute with your favorite slaw.

Assemble the sandwich

Brioche and pretzel buns both add a hint of sweetness to complement the tangy slaw and tartar sauce. If you don’t have buns on hand, try some toasted sourdough instead.

I spread tartar sauce on the top bun, popped the fish fillet on the bottom bun, and layered them with some slaw in between. Delicious!