Have you ever cooked sturgeon?

[Jenise]

A friend's husband has gone fishing for salmon on the Columbia. If the salmon fishing was slow, the plan was to try for sturgeon. Ron's fished for sturgeon before, but never got any in the qualifying 42"-60" limitation for a legal. I just got a call: "45 inches!" So we'll have sturgeon in a day or two. I've never prepared it. I believe I've only eaten it twice, both in restaurants. One was thin slices of smoked fish served with creme fraiche, caviar and a potato gallette, and the other was just a thick square lump of warm white baked fish in a starter course. The fish wasn't bad, but I didn't think it had any particularly appealing characteristics, either. It was just fish, the kind that's only as interesting as the sauce you bury it under.

Is that a typical sturgeon experience? Are there better methods for it?

Even though spearing sturgeon through a hole in the ice is very popular on Lake Winnebago I've never had fresh sturgeon. It seems that it is mostly smoked and I agree with you - a distinctive pale color and large flake but not special. However, my son's Ukranian violin teacher hangs out with some anglers and manages to get the eggs of any females. They would otherwise be discarded - Quelle horror ! She makes caviar and has enough to generously gift. I make the buckwheat blini and and creme fraiche. I've never had better caviar. We love the local sturgeon season.

A friend's husband has gone fishing for salmon on the Columbia. If the salmon fishing was slow, the plan was to try for sturgeon. Ron's fished for sturgeon before, but never got any in the qualifying 42"-60" limitation for a legal. I just got a call: "45 inches!" So we'll have sturgeon in a day or two. I've never prepared it. I believe I've only eaten it twice, both in restaurants. One was thin slices of smoked fish served with creme fraiche, caviar and a potato gallette, and the other was just a thick square lump of warm white baked fish in a starter course. The fish wasn't bad, but I didn't think it had any particularly appealing characteristics, either. It was just fish, the kind that's only as interesting as the sauce you bury it under.

Is that a typical sturgeon experience? Are there better methods for it?

I've cooked and served it for decades.

Anything that works for some of the firmer fleshed fish will work with sturgeon - sea bass etc.

I never found it to be a particularly distinguished fish myself, but it had fans in my restaurants.

Now, if you can get her to lay some eggs...

Even though spearing sturgeon through a hole in the ice is very popular on Lake Winnebago I've never had fresh sturgeon.

Can they even legally sell that to you?

Never bought the fish or the eggs. She just happens to know the fishermen that would throw the eggs away otherwise.

[Jenise]

Anything that works for some of the firmer fleshed fish will work with sturgeon - sea bass etc.

I never found it to be a particularly distinguished fish myself, but it had fans in my restaurants.

Thanks. I'm a-thinking round one might be a good candidate for baking smothered in EVOO, garlic and parsley. Works great with halibut, and if you do it right it almost doesn't matter what kind of fish is under there.

I'm a-thinking round one might be a good candidate for baking smothered in EVOO, garlic and parsley. Works great with halibut, and if you do it right it almost doesn't matter what kind of fish is under there.

Another option.

Prosciutto-Roasted Halibut with Fresh Thyme

2 5-oz. halibut fillets
3 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided
4 thin slices prosciutto
2 tsp. olive oil
2 TB. chopped shallot
¼ cup dry white wine
1 TB. butter

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tsp. thyme atop each fish fillet. Place 2 slices prosciutto on work surface, overlapping slightly. Place 1 fish fillet crosswise in center of prosciutto; fold prosciutto over fish fillet. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and fish fillet.

Heat oil in medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto-wrapped fish, seam side down. Cook until prosciutto is brown on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast fish until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plates.

Add shallot to same skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add wine and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Whisk in butter. Drizzle over fish and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

- Bon Appetit – December 2005

I buy fresh sturgeon fillets almost everytime I see them in the fish shop. The flesh is fatty and has way more flavor than halibut. It takes well to dry heat, like roasting, but also pan cooking.

I have 3 concepts that I like.

1. Pumpkin seed crust. Season fillets with melted butter, season with S&P, and coat with a mix of ground pumpkin seeds, herbs and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 F until done.

2. Pan roast in foie gras fat. Season fillet, brown on stove top in melted foie fat, and finish in the oven. Serve with Red Burgundy. This is good with a morel topping.

3. Puree the flesh and turn into fish mousse or quenelles. Cook appropriately. Make a compatible sauce.