We have a nice stock of Capitol Brewery’s Mutiny IPA and wanted to pair it with Lake Superior Whitefish fillets. A simple fish fry is a perfect combination and a great touchstone of Great Lakes Cuisine but we were looking for something a bit…well, a bit different. Instead of the traditional coleslaw, we went with a thinly sliced Savoy cabbage, sauteed over high heat with butter.

In the Milwaukee area, a potato pancake is traditional. We considered a rice cake, which we’ve done in the past out of leftover risotto. Wanted something lighter – How about a cheddar crisp? The garlic chives are in full-bloom in the garden and that would be the perfect accent.

In a large pan over high heat, we placed crumbled 6 year old white cheddar, cooked until it began to brown noticeably on the edges then added chive flowers. The cheddar yields an oil in the process not unlike clarified butter which we saved. The cheddar crisp was allowed to cool and had a pleasant bitterness from the aged cheddar and a bit of pepper from the chive flower. the fish was cooked in large pan over medium high heat in butter, skin side down until finished.

The cheddar crisp mimics the look and texture of a perfect fish fry coating, but the flavors pop and provide a perfect foil for the rich fish. The cabbage brings a nice vegetal quality to the dish and provides a base of flavors for the Mutiny IPA to play against. We added additional chive flowers and the clarified cheddar oil around the plate. Capitol Brewery’s Mutiny IPA has a nice malt/hop balance which makes it a perfect beer on a beautiful summer evening.

From Friday Fish Fry to whitefish with chive/cheddar crisp – inspiration and combinations are what Great Lakes Cuisine is all about. Enjoy.