Rough fish are a disappointment to anglers wishing they were catching bass or walleyes or crappies or any one of the other sport fish that inhabit Truman Lake and Lake of the Ozarks.
However, rough fish—in the case of gar, buffalo and drum—are called that because they are difficult to clean. But the flesh of these three species of fish is white and tasty once it has been filleted and trimmed.
Twenty-five people were shown the secrets of how to dress gar, drum and buffalo by John Rittel and Chris Brooke of the Missouri Department of Conservation at an educational class at Berry Bend South Park on Truman last Saturday.
This wasn’t just a discussion; the MDC crew brought a selection of gar, buffalo and drum for class participants to clean. The resulting flaky, white meat was then cooked at the end of the class for participants to sample.
“A lot of anglers discount these fish,” said Rittel, the community education assistant for the Kansas City region of the MDC, “but when I catch them, I keep them because they’re so good to eat.”
Each species has its own challenge, added Rittel, but with gar, those long, pointy-nosed fish, the problem is getting through the thick skin as it’s covered in thick scales made of the same material as bones.
The instructions began when Rittel opened the skin of a gar by cutting under the scales with a knife. Then he used shears to cut through the skin on each side of the backbone from the head to a point near the tail.
“Folks use all kinds of devices to cut the skin,” he said, adding that a knife won’t stay sharp long when it’s trying to cut through scales. “Some people use tin snips, and I know one guy who uses a cordless circular saw.”
After the dorsal cuts are made, Rittel cuts the skin away from the meat down to the belly of the fish. The tough skin acts as a guide. The meat is then filleted off the backbone and ribs, while the skin is left attached to the fish’s carcass.
Cleaning a buffalo is different from gar, even though this fish also has large scales. A sharp fillet knife can make its way through the skin and scales, and a large fillet is the result.
The buffalo’s challenge comes in removing the Y bones from the fillet, of which there are three sets: one that parallels the rib cage of the fish, and the other two in the tail section behind the ribs.
It does take practice to feel and remove the bones, but it becomes easier after a few fish.
Once the Y bones are removed, the final step is to remove the red meat, which has a strong fishy taste and is found on the skin side of the fillet along the fish’s lateral line.
In larger buffalo, it’s possible to cut the rib cage into section of two and three (or more) ribs and fry or broil them. Buffalo ribs are large compared to those in other fish, and cutting them may require shears again. But when they are fried, it’s possible to simply pull the ribs out, leaving a boneless strip of tasty fish.
Drum, a freshwater relative of the Gulf redfish, is not considered the best table fare as it sometimes is rubbery. However, it is fairly easy to clean and only needs the red meat removed to be ready for the table.
The firm texture becomes an asset when drum are cooked using a crab or shrimp boil recipe because it holds together well.
“And don’t forget drum fillets are excellent when blackened, as they hold their shape when they hit the hot skillet,” adds Rittel.
The Missouri Department of Conservation runs a wide variety of classes such as this one based on nature and outdoor pursuits, everything from classes on shooting, hunting, fishing, fly tying and subjects such as wildflowers, native plants and animals and other conservation-themed subjects.
Currently, the Missouri Department of Conservation has 293 classes scheduled for the rest of the year, 68 of which will be held in the Kansas City Region.
Generally, the events are free unless there is a charge for materials or provided food. Some classes are limited in size, and registration is required. However, some are unrestricted as to size. There also are virtual classes as well.
