A. D.’s Fried Salt Suckers

This technique works for most bony fish, but suckers are my favorite in spite of the bad press they have received over the years. These are salted by the method given in the first part of this chapter. Before salting, however, the suckers are filleted. Each fillet is “gashed” with a sharp knife on a diagonal, placing the cuts about ½ inch apart. Do not cut all the way through the fish but do cut through the layer of Y-bones. With a little practice, you can feel the bones as you cut.