Pickerel (Walleye)

PICKEREL & WALLEYE both refer to a member of the perch family and may have been given the “pickerel” moniker because of its sharp front teeth. It is not a member of the pike family, although some resolve the confusion by calling Pickerel/Walleye a pike-perch. More American fishermen use “walleye” (based on the fish’s saucer-like eyes) and more Canadians “pickerel” (resembling a small pike); what they agree on is the delicious taste of this freshwater fish. Pickerel/walleye can be caught large enough to be baked whole with a stuffing; smaller ones can be baked, fried or incorporated into chowder. The Great Lakes host pickerel/walleye on both sides of the U.S./Canadian border, as does “Lake Woebegon,” the mythic lake of Garrison Keillor’s radio program,“Prairie Home Companion.” Our pickerel/walleyes are wild-caught on the Canadian “pickerel” side of the border. Priced per pound.  Weighed whole except for fillets.