# Red Drum Table Fare



## Bosco (Jan 2, 2017)

With a slot size of 18 - 27", what is the most preferred size for eating and suggestions on preparing for good eats?


Also, just wondering why is it that Va. to the north and S.C. to the south both have 3 fish daily limits and we only can keep 1 daily.


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

What you need to do is not even try to eat them. Flash freeze all your slot reds and ship them to me. I will take a bullet for the greater good and dispose of them for you. 

Of course j/k!

I personally like mine simply done with blackening seasoning cooked in a skillet or on the grill brushed lightly with oil then seasoning. So yummy. That will some green beans and mashed potatoes is a killer dinner. 

I like Chef Paul's Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning. I find mine at Wallyword


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## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

As for the reg differences, didn't you know redfish are hard to come by in NC! The scientist say we dont have enough...


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Puppy drum are great table fare. Any way you want to fix them. The higher slot size has much more meat. Yea, I wish we could keep more. Guess we keep Va and Sc in fish. In the day the big drum were great to eat. A lot ended up in stew, like rock fish stew.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

For the slot sized fish (or a little over) my favorite way to cook them is on the grill. Fillet the fish but do not scale or skin the fillets. The scales are thick enough so they will not burn. Scale/skin side down towards the heat sprinkle a little paprika or Old Bay on the meat and baste them with lemon butter as they cook. Once they meat has turned to white from pink ( 5-7 minutes ) they should be done then flip them over meat side down to brown for about 30 -60 seconds. The scale/skin side will curl up like a bowl so all you need to do is scoop the meat out of the "bowl".


Good eats !!


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## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

Very good table fare.......cook them in whichever is your favorite style of cooking fish. Redfish meat will hold up well to whatever you throw it at. It's hard to beat blackened redfish, though...IMO.


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

jay b said:


> For the slot sized fish (or a little over) my favorite way to cook them is on the grill. Fillet the fish but do not scale or skin the fillets. The scales are thick enough so they will not burn. Scale/skin side down towards the heat sprinkle a little paprika or Old Bay on the meat and baste them with lemon butter as they cook. Once they meat has turned to white from pink ( 5-7 minutes ) they should be done then flip them over meat side down to brown for about 30 -60 seconds. The scale/skin side will curl up like a bowl so all you need to do is scoop the meat out of the "bowl".
> 
> 
> Good eats !!


 Red fish on the half shell, My favorite way to eat them and a cold one,


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## Fatback (Aug 6, 2003)

Down here in GA we get to keep FIVE! Our slot is 14" to 23", but at times we have to weed through lots of too little or too big to get those good for keeping.

I like my lower slot fish skinned whole, seasoned, and fried. Served with grits and baked beans. For higher slot fish I like them filleted and blackened served with red rice and any green vegetable. Of course several adult malted beverages to help wash um' down.

And when camping, Jay b's "bowl" redfish works great. Just lay the thing right on some hot coals.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Baked with taters n onions with gravy,halfshell with parm on top,lemon pepper seasoning,and some lemon slices,boiled and flaked with taters,onions,touch of fatback greese as well as some of the cracklings from the fatback,or breaded with house a Audrey and fried... I can't think of a way I don't like them cooked..

As far as laws go NCDMF SUCKS with a one fish limit!! not jmho either...


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

When I lived and fished in FL. I liked my red fish blackened with black beans and rice. Like this.


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

I really like fish stew....a good way to use the fish that may have been in the freezer for a while. Lots of recipes when you Google it.


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## Mark H. (Nov 26, 2005)

Drumdum said:


> Baked with taters n onions with gravy,halfshell with parm on top,lemon pepper seasoning,and some lemon slices,boiled and flaked with taters,onions,touch of fatback greese as well as some of the cracklings from the fatback,or breaded with house a Audrey and fried... I can't think of a way I don't like them cooked..
> 
> As far as laws go NCDMF SUCKS with a one fish limit!! not jmho either...


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Mark H. said:


> View attachment 31841


Yep,that works.. As I said,ain't no way I have tried it that I did not like it...


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## Byron/pa (Mar 14, 2007)

jay b said:


> For the slot sized fish (or a little over) my favorite way to cook them is on the grill. Fillet the fish but do not scale or skin the fillets. The scales are thick enough so they will not burn. Scale/skin side down towards the heat sprinkle a little paprika or Old Bay on the meat and baste them with lemon butter as they cook. Once they meat has turned to white from pink ( 5-7 minutes ) they should be done then flip them over meat side down to brown for about 30 -60 seconds. The scale/skin side will curl up like a bowl so all you need to do is scoop the meat out of the "bowl".
> 
> 
> Good eats !!


Thank you ........


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## dirtyhandslopez (Nov 17, 2006)

There was a recipe years ago on here, don't know where it is now.
Basically mix up mayo and parmasion with what ever little tidbits you like to eat(onion, garlic, peppers,peas, corn, whatever) spread a layer down in the pan, then filets, then more spread. Bake it until it's done , then eat. 'Kin superb.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

That sounds like the way the O'coke restaurant "Café Atlantic" cooks their Drum fillets. 

We spent a week down there a few years back and went on a near shore charter with Ernie Dozier from Gecko charters and caught some nice Drum off the shoals just outside of O'coke inlet. 

Café Atlantic will cook your raw fillets and serve them to you for dinner with all the fixins for about half of their regular dinner price so that's what we did with some of our Drum. It tasted so good we bought the cook book to take home.


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## redrivergar (Oct 15, 2012)

This thread is making me hungry. I've always fried mine with seasoned flour in hot oil. I am going to try the skin on method, but what do you do about the dark vein meat? I assume you eat around it.


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

Don't keep many pups. But when/if I do, and I like all these other ways too; I like skinless fillets coated with a little olive oil and dry spices, even just salt a pepper. Hot grill. Straight on grate, slightly charred outside, just right inside!


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## Surfjunkie (Dec 28, 2015)

redrivergar said:


> This thread is making me hungry. I've always fried mine with seasoned flour in hot oil. I am going to try the skin on method, but what do you do about the dark vein meat? I assume you eat around it.


Never understood not eating the lateral line (gray) meat. To me that's always been the tastiest part of the fish


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

I haven't caught a slot drum in so long, I can't remember what they taste like


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## DANtheJDMan (Aug 29, 2012)

We go to Texas and you can keep one oversize red per licence. 

My daughter caught a nice 34 inch and we killed it. It was sad to kill that nice fish but it was the best tasting fish. 

There is kind of a big back strap over the ribs and I cut those about 8 inches long and they are three sided. 

I grilled all three sides on a hot grill and then wrapped it in aluminum foil with some butter pats and lemon slices. 

Closed the grill for another 5 minutes and wow...............................the texture of it is nice an tight good good good.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Surfjunkie said:


> Never understood not eating the lateral line (gray) meat. To me that's always been the tastiest part of the fish


I can understand wanting to get rid of the blood line in the fillet of a bluefish or another species that's very oily but keeper/slot sized Drum don't have that much blood line and it doesn't have that much flavor so I eat it all


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## cujo (Oct 15, 2015)

Grilled red drum on the half shell, my favorite..


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