What to do with white spring

Reelin In The Years

Reelin In The Years

Well-Known Member
After trying many different ways of cooking or smoking white springs, I am wondering what a lot of members on here do to try and get some taste out of these fish. We have tried baking in the oven, on the b-que and smoking.
Smoked the last one with some coho caught last year and the taste of the fresh caught white spring pales in comparison to the coho.
Thanks for any and all replies.
Jerry
 
Reelin In The Years said:
After trying many different ways of cooking or smoking white springs, I am wondering what a lot of members on here do to try and get some taste out of these fish. We have tried baking in the oven, on the b-que and smoking.
Smoked the last one with some coho caught last year and the taste of the fresh caught white spring pales in comparison to the coho.
Thanks for any and all replies.
Jerry
Click to expand...

Will trade you a 20 pound red Spring or 3 8 pound coho ANY DAY for a 20 pound white spring!!
In my opinion they are the best eating...and often put up a better fight, tending to go deeper during the battle.
The key to cooking any fish, especially white spring is DO NOT OVER COOK IT.
Bake it, fry it or BBQ it....use spices, sauce or whatever is your favorite recipe....just DON'T OVER COOK IT...
WHITE FLESHIE LOOK SHOULD BARELY FADE when you take it off the heat. depending on the thickness of the cut, maybe 15 minutes in the oven at 425.
I do prefer red spring smoked.
 
I am always shocked when I hear folks complain of white spring ........ I would love to blind fold many and serve red and white in several ways of cooking ........ Pretty sure I'd turn them into believers ........ Yes do not over cook it !

I will admit to company the red always look nicer but I love both red and white spring.
 
Freeze and make into sashimi. When it thaws, cover it in a healthy dose of course sea salt and let sit for half hour then wash it off. It'll pull a lot of the oils out of the fish. Then slice up and enjoy!
 
Cut nice chunky square pieces good salt n pepp ... butter and olive oil in a pan slight dark brown on the butter sear to cooked 3/4 remove fish ,squeeze lemon in the pan and drizzle
pan dripping sauce over pieces , the searing and burnt butter makes it taste dam good trust me . :p
 
IMO...
White Springs have a lot more fat/ oil so they can spoil faster and don't freeze as well.
Take good care of them from the time you catch them and eat fresh.

I love white springs on the BBQ before frozen and love for the smoker.

I find that any fish I cook up that tastes stronger or fishy can be traced back to how I cared for it.
Caught on a longer trip and kept in cooler too long. Not cleaned right away. Caught early in the day and not kept cold enough over the long day...

Same with game animals. Better care = better eats.

Don't give up on them!

Tips
 
I usually eat the tails fresh, freeze and smoke the ribs, and the backs go to St. jeans in Nanaimo for the smoke n' canning.mmmmm!
 
We love the whites. My First Nation's mother-in-law always tells me to save the whites for her. The white has always been her families preferred spring - we have found the same. "Tips Up" comments are probably on track.
 
I gotta say that I too am a fan of whites when caught in the chuck. The OP, I assume you are talking about whites from salt as opposed to a river?

Early season white (or marbled) from Gabriola fishing is amongst the finest table fare in my books; no need to do much to it aside from a simple wine/butter/garlic type sauce. In saying that I found a piece of white on the weekend that was packaged from Tofino last summer; cooked it up and we were both remarking the outstanding flavour it had.

Like others have said....do NOT overcook it. I actually cook at a lower temp than I think fogged in mentioned on the first page. I prefer "low and slow" usually at about 325 in the oven for maybe 12 minutes (of course depending on thickness) so it is cooked to a nice medium rare to medium absolute TOPS. Cook it more and I don't care what the salmon is.....it kills it for me. We do a ton of different preparations for all fish with a wide variety of flavours involved in rubs/sauces/toppings. The preps definitely do change a bit whether the fish is fresh from the water or has been frozen.

If you're really having trouble with the flavour then work on some more enhanced flavour recipes that involve a seasoning with a topping that is going to be fairly pronounced in flavour like a Cajun/blackened seasoning with a fruit salsa on top. Someone mentioned earlier the browned butter....another great sauce that has quite a bold flavour. You can try different rubs of all sorts and with many, just a white wine beurre blanc (white wine garlic butter type sauce) adds another level of flavour. Go to a decent supermarket or even better a specialty food store and have a look at different rubs they sell; you may find a few that work for your palate and will help you "tolerate" the whites. ;)

In summation.....lots "to do with white springs" but it all depends to what extent you want to go for table fare.

Me.....Pippy likey the whites!!! :p
 
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I like to marinade with some white wine, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, black pepper and a shot of ketchup. Then i bbq the fillets on foil skin down and give the meat a heathy rubbing or brown sugar. 10 minutes an inch. Have yet to find anyone who doesn't devour it.
 
Go to a US Costco and get a tub of Tommy Douglas rub with luv. Outstanding on whites.... And reds and ribs. By far my favourite rub.
 
I love the blackened/Cajun style salmon. One of my favourite ways to cook it. Whiteys or red, matters not.

I never turn my nose up at whites. Love 'em !!!
 
Try this, my fav way to eat whites.
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup water
Mix together real good
Put fillets in a large freezer bag or glass dish and pour marinade over them
Marinade for an hour at least,
Get bbq real hot and lay fillet skin side up to start maybe 7-10 minutes thickness depending,
Flip over, brush on a little of the marinade and cook till inside temp is 140-145 no more(very important)
Serve and enjoy,
We never have leftovers, even the picky kids want seconds


Sent from my rotary phone using tapacrap!
 
I think they are great sauteed in a medium hot pan of butter (or duck fat if you are lucky) infused with fresh thyme. Remember there is one sin God will not forgive - overcooking fish. Goes double for white spring.
 
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