Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

If you’re tired of turkey leftovers already, maybe you can find a fishing hole and reel in something tasty during your Thanksgiving break. Chef Cindy Haenel says there’s nothing like catching your own dinner.

09—It’s fabulous. I know exactly how old that fish is, when it came out of the water and how long it’s been dead. And that’s important with fish especially. Fresh is always best.

Cindy is a chef instructor at Central Market in Austin. She and her husband Ken are avid anglers.

08—I love the saltwater as well as freshwater. But the saltwater you have more variety. You never know what you’re going to pull up. It’s exciting – like Christmas morning.

Immediately put your catch on ice, and if there’s a cleaning station on shore, consider doing the dirty work there. Chef Cindy says be careful not to overcook your fresh fish.

22—Most people, if they don’t like the taste of fish, it’s probably because they’ve overcooked it. And, as it cooks, and the oil of the fish starts to come out of the flesh, it burns very, very quickly. So, if you will under cook your fish, or protect that fish with either a salt crust, or even if it just has a little butter, or some kind of fat on the outside it still protecting that fish while it’s cooking.

Find fish recipes from Chef Cindy as well as a link to the Fish Texas e-Newsletter at passporttotexas.org…

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
______________________________________________

Salt Crusted Whole Fish

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
2 cups sea salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup water
1 (2 1/2-pound) fresh whole white fish, such as striped bass
2 tablespoons julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped artichoke hearts
2 slices lemon, sliced in half, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, trimmed to extend 3-inches in diameter around outside of the fish.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, sea salt, flour, parsley and 1/2 cup of water. Mix with your hands until a thick paste forms.

Fill the cavity of the fish with the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and lemon slices. Rub the exterior of the fish with the garlic, then sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper

Put the fish on the parchment lined baking sheet. Mound the salt paste evenly over the entire fish. Press the mixture firmly down to the baking sheet, being careful to seal any cracks.

Bake the fish until the crust is golden brown and very firm, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Slide the parchment and fish onto serving platter or cutting board and crack the crust with a handle of a large knife. Slide a spoon under the top fillet, over the spine, and lift it to a serving platter. Turn over and repeat. Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.

Serves 2

This is Passport to Texas

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s inland fisheries division works diligently to breed bigger and better largemouth bass and the hard work has paid off.

07—You know, I’m kind of biased, but Texas has the best bass fishing. It’s widely respected among many fishermen across this nation.

Dave Terre is chief of fisheries management and research for inland fisheries. September 28-30, the Toyota Texas Bass Classic returns to Lake Conroe, bringing 50 of the nation’s top bass anglers to shine a light on the fishery.

14 – They’re going to be the best of the best from the Bass Elite Series, the Professional Angler’s Association series, and the FLW series. So, you’re going to get the best anglers from all the professional series coming to one place – Lake Conroe – to fish.

Dave Terre says the bass Classic is family event featuring country music concerts, children’s activities, vendors, food, a BBQ cook-off, and an opportunity to experience the great outdoors at its best.

16— We hope to expand our outdoor adventures area and our vendor areas to bring in more outdoor aspects besides just fishing. Of course, fishing will be a prominent feature, but we’ll have quite a bit of stuff on camping and hunting and other things that you can do outside with your kids to experience the outdoors.

The Toyota Texas bass Classic is September 28—30 at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center on Lake Conroe.

And free tickets are available while they last from the Toyota Texas Bass Classic website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic—September 28—30 at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center on Lake Conroe —promotes the outdoors to families across the entire state.

17—It’s a benefit event, actually, for Texas Parks and Wildlife, where it raises funds for us to use in our youth outreach activities across the state. Including neighborhood fishing, the state fish art contest, and also events that happen all across the state to introduce youngsters to the outdoors.

Dave Terre is chief of fisheries management and research for inland fisheries.

13 The Bass Classic is many things, but it is—primarily—a big largemouth bass tournament. Matter of fact, a world class bass tournament. It attracts the best 50 anglers in the nation to come and compete at one place – Lake Conroe.

There will be games and activities at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Outdoor Adventures area, a BBQ Cook-Off, and a fishing expo featuring seminars and the latest in fishing equipment, gear and accessories, too.

13— It’s much more than a bass tournament. This tournament is really an outdoor festival. It’s bringing in quality country western music entertainment. The featured artists this year will be Dirks Bentley, Gary Allan, and Jake Owen.

The Toyota Texas bass Classic is September 28—30 at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center on Lake Conroe.

Bring the family.

And free tickets are available while they last from the Toyota Texas Bass Classic website.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Texas anglers look forward to the annual running of the bulls — bull redfish, that is.

07—It’s large schools of mature red drum – male and female – aggregating near gulf passes to spawn.

Bill Balboa is ecosystem leader for Galveston Bay system. The bull red run begins in late August, crescendos about mid September, and continues through the fall. And these fish, most over 28-inches long, give anglers a good fight.

20 –They call them bulls for a reason, and it’s because they’re very strong fish; they don’t give up easily. So generally most anglers are going to fish for bull reds in the surf using what I would consider typical surf tackle — which is a little bit heavier rod and reel, because what they can expect is a lot of long runs from this fish. They pull very hard. Much like a bull would pull if you had it on a rope.

Although anglers can reel in bull reds all along the gulf coast, their best opportunities lie north of Matagorda Bay.

08—A lot of bull red fishing occurs in Sergeant up off of Freeport; Crystal Beach and Bolivar, in that area, and off of Sabine Pass.

And redfish is good eating. Keep an eye on the Texas Parks and Wildlife YouTube channel in the weeks ahead for a cooking segment with Chef Jesse Griffiths, preparing redfish three ways.

The Wildlife and sport fish restoration program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Hunters and anglers look forward to the day licenses go on sale the way many children look forward to Christmas. Hunting and fishing licenses bring with them the hope of a harvest and the promise of time spent in the great Texas outdoors.

Licenses for the 2012-2013 seasons go on sale statewide this month.

17 – I would advise folks to buy early. The new season, dove season, opens September first. It’s on a Saturday. I think it would be a very good idea for hunters to start buying their licenses and their super combos as soon as our sales season opens, which is August fifteenth.

Tom Newton manages licensing at Texas Parks and Wildlife. You can buy your licenses online…at 17-hundred retailers statewide…at state parks…game warden offices and the Texas Parks and Wildlife headquarters in Austin.

Newton says sales this year started in the hole because of last year’s drought and heat, but because of milder temperatures and statewide rain, we’ve almost caught up to last year’s sales and may catch up by year’s end. And that’s good news for conservation.

Money spent on licenses directly supports conservation efforts in Texas. There’s more than one type of hunting license – they range from a $7 resident senior license to a $315 license for nonresident hunters.

Find links to hunting information at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife and Sport fish Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, shooting and hunting opportunities in Texas. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti