Recipes: Roadtrip to Keweenaw

Our favorite restaurant in the U.P. shares their time-tested recipes...

While visiting the Keweenaw, you’ll find us having dinner at The Fitz almost nightly. Owner Mike LaMotte and his team do incredible work with their champagne program, cocktails and thoughtful, diverse menu. We asked them to write up a few of their most popular recipes and encourage you to recreate them at home!

Chef Jeremy’s Walleye Cakes

You will need:

1 lb cooked walleye, chopped

1 Tbsp butter

1 shallot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Panko breadcrumb

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Tabasco, salt and black pepper to taste

Neutral oil such as canola

Lemons, wedged for serving

For the walleye cake batter

In a sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Sweat the shallot for a few minutes until translucent, and then add minced garlic. Continue cooking until the garlic is aromatic. Add diced bell pepper to the pan and cook until soft. Remove the pan from heat to let the mixture cool slightly.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the cooked fish, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning and Tabasco. Mix gently with a spatula or your hands. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the onion-garlic mixture has cooled, add to the fish, along with the 1/2 cup of Panko and parsley. Mix to combine.

Form into 4oz walleye cakes. Put the remaining 1/2 cup Panko in a large rimmed plate, and dredge the walleye cakes on both sides.

To cook

In a sauté or cast iron pan over medium heat, add enough neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Carefully pan fry the cakes on both sides (about 3-4 minutes on each side), ensuring both sides are golden brown and crispy. Pile the cakes on a serving platter and serve with lemon wedges and remoulade (recipe below).

Remoulade Sauce

You will need:

8 oz mayonnaise

2 oz capers, drained, rinsed and chopped

2 oz chopped cornichon pickles

2 Tbsp chives, minced

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Tabasco (or other hot sauce of your preference)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Citrus Gem Cocktail

1.5 oz Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin

0.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

0.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

Scant 0.5 oz rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water)

0.25 oz Amaro Montenegro

Combine all ingredients in shaker tin. Add ice and shake until very cold. Serve up in a chilled coupe or martini glass. Enjoy!