Batter Fried Herring

Ma and I mad a run to the cabin to do a couple minor fix-ups yesterday and got done earlier than expected. Having most of the afternoon to do nothing we drove up to Brimson and Hugo’s Bar/grill and had an ice cold Alaska Amber. After chatting with a couple locals we returned to Two Harbors and went to Earthwood Inn for our dinner. The special for the day was Bather Fried Herring fillets….fresh that morning from Lake Superior. All I can say is that I have never been so happy to over-eat. The fries that came with the meal were abundant. The coleslaw was like no other I have had and I could have easily fit another bowl of it in. But the Herring….absolutely the best batter Herring, let alone ANY bather fried fish, were out of this world. The meal included three very nice fillets.

If any of ya’ll are headed in the Two Harbors direction and want a great meal, stop by Earthwood on your way into town if coming up from Duluth. Earthwood is right next door to Sonju car dealership on Two Harbor’s south side and accessible from the Scenic Route or Expressway. In addition to excellent fish, they make a mean burger as well.

I’m headed up to Dos Harbors in a half hour, #1 son has his conference track meet there this afternoon.
Might have to make a stop on the way home for a bite. Thanks!

Damn that’s sound delish!! Thanks for the heads up!!

All I could think of was mushy pickled herring when I read the title Tom. Glad to hear it was good.

I’m not getting up there but I won’t be afraid to try in now that I read your post. Since having pickled pike, I just don’t care for herring any longer.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

All I could think of was mushy pickled herring when I read the title Tom. Glad to hear it was good.

I’m not getting up there but I won’t be afraid to try in now that I read your post. Since having pickled pike, I just don’t care for herring any longer.

BK…the Bluefin herring from Lake Superior cannot be compared to the pickled herring that you typically get.

A few years ago I came upon it at Coastal Seafoods outlet at a co-op here in the cities and bought some. I just lightly coated it with very little seasoning’s and pan fried. Perhaps the best most delicate fresh fish I have ever had. Like Tom say’s…it’s unlike most any freshwater fish you have had.

Here is an informative article about the Bluefin Herring…

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/state-and-regional/mn/lake-superior-fishermen-finally-catching-herring/article_ecc21a1c-a738-11de-aeda-001cc4c002e0.html

Ok I could google but why? We have many names for the Cisco-is it a Cisco? Like a
“lake herring”?

The Lake [Bluefin] Herring is herring. Ciscos, whitefish are other soft fish that somehow get lumped in with the herring or vice versa.

Filleted and fried it is one of the best fish that can be put in the mouth. If I had herring or walleye to chose from the walleye would go to the cats. I catch herring several times thru the open water season on Lake Superior and we eat them the same day regardless of what is/was on the evening menu.

There are several renowned herring netters all along the North Shore that sell directly to local restaraunts, assuring the freshest fish possible. Where the blue fin is served, it is one of the hottest menu fish around and places will get rushed so bad they run out of it each day.

Yes Tim you can google it but like you ask….why? Drive up there and fish the breakwater in Two Harbors and go for your own. No luck? Hit Earthwood and find out what you’re missing.

My dad used to call it the earthworm inn. Stayed there a couple times no complaints. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I’ve never had lake herring. Sounds fantastic.

Took the say off work today and fished the St. Croix. Most of the time I was wishing I was trolling on the north shore instead.

Great Tom, can’t wait to try it! I’ve had cisco fresh and pan fried-awesome. Some of these fish do not freeze and/or travel well, so we don’t see them outside of the region.

Well the track meet ran too late to stop for dinner so I’ll have to try it out the next time I’m up there doing some trolling. I’m the same way with whitefish out of Superior, if I get one, it is automatically dinner that night.

Boy talk about a roller coaster of an afternoon weather-wise. I got to the track (2 miles straight north of Burlington Bay) at 3pm and it was 89 degrees. When I left at 7:30 it was 52 and blowing ENE at 15-25. Took the full 20 miles of freeway to Duluth to warm me up.

Duluth set a daily record high of 88 yesterday. At 500 pm it was 84 degrees. At 530 pm it was 80 degrees. By 630 pm it was 45 degrees. How’s that for a temperature swing?

tim hurley wrote:

Great Tom, can’t wait to try it! I’ve had cisco fresh and pan fried-awesome. Some of these fish do not freeze and/or travel well, so we don’t see them outside of the region.

Herring, Whitefish are a couple that fit in this category Tim. If I catch any they get the knife in the parking lots and go directly to ice even for the short 10 miles to the cabin. The Herring have bone structure just like a walleye. The Whitefish are much bonier so I smoke those but get them cold and keep them cold until I can freeze them for the trip home where they’ll get thawed in the fridge and the cure rub applied very soon after getting home. keeping these fish very cold is the key to their great eating qualities.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tim hurley wrote:</div>
Great Tom, can’t wait to try it! I’ve had cisco fresh and pan fried-awesome. Some of these fish do not freeze and/or travel well, so we don’t see them outside of the region.

Herring, Whitefish are a couple that fit in this category Tim. If I catch any they get the knife in the parking lots and go directly to ice even for the short 10 miles to the cabin. The Herring have bone structure just like a walleye. The Whitefish are much bonier so I smoke those but get them cold and keep them cold until I can freeze them for the trip home where they’ll get thawed in the fridge and the cure rub applied very soon after getting home. keeping these fish very cold is the key to their great eating qualities.

tom, wouldnt that be the key to all fish? get them cleaned and cold asap? it is in my world!

Absolutely Glenn, but these fish we’re talking about need extra care.

The same Herring we are talking about make a wonderful fish boil too. Carole and I make mini-boils on the stove with new potatoes, pearl onions and Herring that’s been scaled, gutted and steaked.