A Cajun's Way of Cleaning Gar (Garfish)
Ingredients
- 1 garfish - any size
- 1/4 cup chopped onions and garlic or shallots
- 2-3 tbsp low acidic vinegar
- Salt, red pepper and black pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions
- If you have a fresh fish, start by cleaning the garfish. The technique depends on whether the gar is small or large. The scales on a gar are hard—hence the nickname ‘armored fish’—therefore a certain technique needs to be applied.
- For small gar: Have a pair of gloves, two strong hands and a sharp knife. Split the gar on the top (back of fish) by cutting from the head to the tail with the sharp knife and gloved hands. Filet around the skin using one hand to pull the skin back. Cut and skin back around the entire fish angling the knife around the body of the fish and going all the way around. Think of it like peeling a banana—work on one side and then the other. Cut the head off after skinning the fish as you use the head as a brace to hold the fish in place. Another approach is once it is skinned half way to the tail, cut off the head then reach in and pull the meat out similar to skinning a rabbit. It is most important to remove the gut as tainting from sea grass can occur.
- You will see a web looking bone of which some of the finer bones can be eaten. There is also a bone down the middle of the gar and although you could filet the meat off it, cooking with it still in the meat will give your dish more flavor, especially a garfish roast.
- For large gar: Nail the head to a large board like a 2x12 (make sure it is a little bigger than the fish or nail the fish to the side of a shed). Depending on the size take a hatchet or an axe and chop the skin along the backbone all the way to the tail. Now start the process of cutting under the skin and filleting the fish. Because the skin is so hard an axe or a hatchet is a must as a knife will not cut it. To ensure your personal and others safety, make sure to keep all fingers and moving parts out of harms way.
- Alternative method: A neat and simple but messy thing to do is to take a skill saw and cut small round steaks. Then take a knife and cut around leaving the meat to pop out.
- To cook the gar roast: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Mix the onions, garlic or shallots, vinegar and season to taste with the salt, red pepper and black pepper.
- Make a few slits in the gar roast and stuff the pockets with the spice stuffing. Then season the outside with more salt, black pepper and red pepper.
- Bake or roast for about 1 hour until the meat is white and flaky. The gravy gar makes is dark very similar to beef roast gravy.
- Serve with rice and cold potato salad.
Common Problems and Solutions
Q: Why is garfish so hard to clean?
A: Gar have extremely hard, armor-like scales that earned them the nickname "armored fish." Regular fillet knives won't cut through the skin—you need heavy-duty tools like a hatchet or axe for large gar, or a very sharp knife and gloves for small ones. The key is to work smart by splitting along the backbone first.
Q: Do I have to remove all the bones?
A: No, and in fact leaving the center bone in during cooking adds more flavor to the dish, especially for a roast. The web-like bones are fine enough that some can be eaten. You can filet the meat off the center bone if you prefer, but cooking with it yields better flavor.
Q: How do I know when the gar roast is done?
A: Gar meat cooks up white and flaky like other white-meat fish. Roast at 350°F for about 1 hour, checking that the meat is opaque white throughout and flakes easily with a fork. The cooking time will vary based on the size of your gar.
Tips and Techniques
Wear heavy gloves when cleaning gar to protect your hands from the sharp scales and knife. For large gar, secure the fish firmly (nailed to a board or shed) before using heavy cutting tools. Keep all body parts clear of the axe or hatchet path. The vinegar in the stuffing mixture helps tenderize the meat and cuts through any “muddy” flavor from the water the fish lived in.
Equipment Needed
- Heavy work gloves
- Very sharp fillet knife
- Hatchet or axe (for large gar)
- Large board (2x12 or similar) and nails for securing large fish
- Skill saw (optional, for steak-cutting method)
- Roasting pan
Historical Context
Gar have been part of Louisiana subsistence fishing for centuries, prized by Cajuns who knew how to work past the intimidating armor to get to the sweet, flaky meat inside. In lean times, knowing how to dress a gar meant not wasting a catch that others would throw back.
