- Mental notes don’t belong in the freezer.
- We counted 24 vacuum-packed bags of crappie and walleye, most from the past couple of years.
- Instant Pot Walleye Chowder to save the bounty of a forgotten catch in the freezer.
By Forrest Fisher
Mental notes are wonderful things—until you forget where you put them. I was reminded of that recently when I learned that retail walleye fillets are selling for somewhere between $15 and more than $25 a pound, depending on where you live.
I thought that was interesting.
The very next day, completely by coincidence, my son-in-law invited me over to help clean up his basement freezer.
That turned out to be interesting, too.
As we sorted through frozen steaks, bread and assorted packages of fish, we began discovering things that apparently had been placed in the freezer with great confidence and then immediately (somehow) forgotten.
You know how it goes. We make a mental note: “Don’t forget that fish in there.”
Unfortunately, the modern mind has approximately 14,000 other things competing for space.
Buried in the back and bottom of that freezer were bags of walleye and crappie. Some were reasonably recent. Others had apparently been waiting patiently for their turn in the spotlight.
Then we found the walleye packages from 2017. Freezer burn was obvious.
Nine-year-old frozen fish? Yikes. Frozen fish are not like aged bourbon.
Those went directly into the trash. More than sad.
There are some adventures in life that don’t require a fishing license, and eating mystery fish from the Obama administration is one of them. No pun or political reference intended. Just a time reference.
We eventually counted 24 vacuum-packed bags of crappie and walleye, most from the past couple of years. Rather than let the freezer become a fish museum, we decided it was time to put some of that bounty to work.
The result was a batch of walleye chowder that turned out absolutely delicious.
Instant Pot Walleye Chowder. On the bottom of the Instant Pot, place the usual wire rack. Add:
- 4 large red potatoes, diced
- 1 can corn, drained
- About 2 pounds walleye fillets, cut into chunks
- 2 cans prepared clam chowder (Aldi)
- 1 sweet red pepper, diced
- 1 large sweet white onion, diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- Salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste
- Hot pepper or hot sauce, if you like some heat
Give everything a gentle stir, secure the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Let it naturally release for about 5 minutes, then carefully finish releasing the pressure according to your Instant Pot instructions.
Ladle it into bowls and enjoy.
We had enough for several servings immediately, with plenty left over. Refrigerate the leftovers promptly and use them within a few days or freeze them for later.
The chowder was so good that the freezer cleanup suddenly seemed like a pretty smart fishing trip.
That brings me to the real message. Don’t forget the fish.
Those walleyes and crappies we work so hard to catch and clean are some of the finest foods we can put on the table. But vacuum-sealed packages buried beneath three layers of frozen mystery meat aren’t doing anybody any good.
So, I’m making a new rule for myself: mental notes are no longer good enough. Get more organized, Forrest.
I’m putting dates on packages, keeping track of what’s in the freezer and, when necessary, hanging an actual piece of paper on the refrigerator. Because, apparently, my memory has a better chance of remembering where the refrigerator is than remembering what’s buried underneath a 2017 walleye.
Take inventory. Maybe even keep an inventory of what’s in the freezer. Check it off when you use it. Eat what you catch. Share it with family and friends. Don’t let it get old.
Whatever way you decide to go, every once in a while, go freezer fishing. Waste not, want not. You might be surprised by what you catch…and share.
Gotta love the outdoors.