# Chets mullet



## old sneaky

does anybody know for sure what chets does do their mullet before frying ,type of cornmeal and etc!! bring on that receipt


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## fisheye48

secret...thats what makes it so good!!!


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## sealark

I really don't think it's much of a secret I have been in the back many times and all they do is sprinkle them with I beleive garlic, salt and meal them. They are skinned and the main thing about Chet's mullet are they are caught dailey and rarely ove two days old that's the secret FRESH mullet.


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## Emerald Ghost

Best mullet in Pensacola.

1- FRESH fish

2- CORRECT frying temperature

3- FRESH meal



Makes me hungry just thinking about it.


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## Corpsman

> *Emerald Ghost (3/27/2010)*Best mullet in Pensacola.
> 1- FRESH fish
> 2- CORRECT frying temperature
> 3- FRESH meal
> 
> Makes me hungry just thinking about it.


+1


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## Corpsman

> *Corpsman (3/27/2010)*
> 
> 
> 
> *Emerald Ghost (3/27/2010)*Best mullet in Pensacola.
> 1- FRESH fish
> 2- CORRECT frying temperature
> 3- FRESH meal
> 
> Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
> 
> 
> 
> +1
Click to expand...

What is that temp? I like to fry my fish in peanut oil (When I can afford it) or canola oil as a back up, at 350.

I batter in a 50/50 fine sifted white corn meal and plain flour recipe. I perfer J.T.Pollard's corn meal from Hartford Al, and Martha White flour... Because Lester and Earl said it was the best. I put a little Cayanne pepper in for kick. 

I like the garlic salt idea. I don't fry alot of mullet, but order it every chance I get to go to Chet's.


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## jigslinger

I quit using any flour in my fishmix a long time ago. just spices and cornmeal.


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## sealark

> *Corpsman (3/27/2010)*
> 
> 
> 
> *Corpsman (3/27/2010)*[it.
> 
> 
> 
> +1
Click to expand...

What is that temp? I like to fry my fish in peanut oil (When I can afford it) or canola oil as a back up, at 350. 

I batter in a 50/50 fine sifted white corn meal and plain flour recipe. I perfer J.T.Pollard's corn meal from Hartford Al, and Martha White flour... Because Lester and Earl said it was the best. I put a little Cayanne pepper in for kick. 

I like the garlic salt idea. I don't fry alot of mullet, but order it every chance I get to go to Chet's.[/quote] 

You got the correct oils you need to kick the temp up 50 (400)degrees and use a pot with a candy thermometer. I have never found any of the store bought fryers worth a crap (my opinion only). I use at least a quart of oil that way it doesn't drop the temp that much when the cold fish are introduced to the oil.


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## Joraca

> *Corpsman (3/27/2010)*
> 
> 
> 
> *Emerald Ghost (3/27/2010)*Best mullet in Pensacola.
> 1- FRESH fish
> 2- CORRECT frying temperature
> 3- FRESH meal
> 
> Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
> 
> 
> 
> +1
Click to expand...

+2. My mouth waters thinking about their mullet sandwich.

(Close runners up, I think, for mullet are Catfish Hut and Gulf Coast Seafood Deli.)

BTW--I went by Crazy Horse last night (Friday) and my missus ordered the seafood platter. The tilapia on it was delicious--had that fresh fish taste. I'm gonna go back next Friday and order the tilapia fillet. (About 8 bucks).

Joraca


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## C-monsters

I love the marinated mullet and grouper. The marinade is very easy, and adds a great flavor. Milk, lemon juice, and chopped garlic, then marinated overnight and fried. Can't beat it.


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## Big B

I used to work at the old Rusty's Restaurant and we fried our mullet at 350 degrees and used peanut oil always. They breaded with cornmeal and for every 5lbs of cornmeal they used 1 1/2 cups each of seafood seasoning and lemon pepper . I used to always throw in some garlic also.


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## SHunter

Rusty's was an interesting place with excellent mullet. I will try this next time I fry. Thanks for posting this Big B.


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## HisName

I was once told they soak their Mullet in Buttermilk.

I only use Martha White YELLOW corn meal and have a thermometer for 350 with canola oil , with no seasoning on any salt water fish


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## Chuck's Charters

*chet's*

the only mullet I will ever eat is chet's, and it's always killer; Pace or nayy blvd. I've caught em, broke their necks and bleed em in a bucket of salt water and had em frying in 15 minutes and they still tasted fishy. chet's only; jerry's, marina oyster barn,... all fishy. I do remember rusty's being good though. I heard chets soaks their fillets in sweet milk and lemon juice in the frig for 3 days.


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## jrs1957

There is only one bad thing at Chet's and that's their hours. They should be open 7 days a week... and for breakfast.. HaHa


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## johnf

Sorry for posting on an old thread like this, but I saw Chet's on "Bizzare Foods" I'm bringing a group down there this summer and wanted to do lunch there one day. Is it still open? What does Mullet taste like?


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## bluebell

*chets*

Yes still open. You want be dispointed. thanks


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## gamefisherman

This all sounds good, but Chet's has a very distinctive taste. I was told years ago he marinated fliets in buttermilk.


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## Smarty

C-monsters said:


> I love the marinated mullet and grouper. The marinade is very easy, and adds a great flavor. Milk, lemon juice, and chopped garlic, then marinated overnight and fried. Can't beat it.


 They catered a party I was at about 10yrs ago and this is what they told me that they did to marinate the fish. They know their business :thumbsup:


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## fisheye48

johnf said:


> Sorry for posting on an old thread like this, but I saw Chet's on "Bizzare Foods" I'm bringing a group down there this summer and wanted to do lunch there one day. Is it still open? What does Mullet taste like?


they are open thursday-sat and i think they open at 11 and close at 8pm?


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## FOODDUDE

*chets*

I will let everyone on a little secret , they fry only in corn oil , more costly but seems to work from the post I've seen !


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## MULLET HUNTER

This thread got me.... Wife and I just got home, and the mullet was great.....:notworthy:


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## johnf

Does he have a websight? I've been looking for one for an hour and can't find it.


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## Seanpcola

I used to fry a lot of mullet when I lived at Perdido beach and plan on gearing back up this summer. I only fry in cast iron cookware to maintain a steady temperature I usually go about 375 degrees.


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## SHunter

X2 on frying using a cast iron skillet. I've bought a number of fryers over the years and I come back to my Lodge deep skillet made in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. I even grill using one. My brother took me to the Lodge outlet last summer and I bought some other pieces including a fish cornbread pan half price. From what I hear the company treats their workers well.


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## hjorgan

Fried up some mullet last weekend. They were fresh caught off our dock. Used milk and egg in a 1 gallon zip bag, added the fish and let them sit for an hour or so. Then shook them in a 2 gallon zip bag with Zatarans fish fry mix. Let them sit for 15 minutes or so. Fried them at 375 in a cheap electric fryer till they floated. This fish was as good as any I've had in a while.


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## Radmcg

Sorry if someone already answered this but when Chet was alive he told me he marinates it in milk and lemon juice. I have been eating there for 25 years. I will drive from mobile just to eat there. Before I ate a Chet's I wouldn't touch a mullet. One day they were out of the fried marinated flounder. Chet came out with piece of mullet for me to try. That was @ 23 years ago I haven't had the flounder since.


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## Seanpcola

I started slamming Mullet over 40 years ago and, though Chet's had it going on, Mullet is har to screw up. IMHO mullet is #1 period.:thumbsup:


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## Radmcg

Seanpcola do you net them or hook them. I was always told you couldn't catch them on a hook till I saw an old man with a cane pole up on the fish river. He put rabbit food in a mesh laundry bag and let it sit in the water for a couple of hours as chum. Then he used a number 6 gold hook. Baited it with little bitty piece of red wiggler and pulled about 10 mullet in in about 15 minutes. He actually never touched them he just picked up the pole and set them on the bank. I don't even think he had to change the worm or at least I didn't see him. I maybe wrong but I think he had done that before!


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## Seanpcola

When I was catching my own I used a net. I lived on Perdido Beach in AL and in the late 70's nothing could be easier than running a net around and having enough to feed an army. Haven't done that in a long time. My Mullet consumption for a while has been limited to restaurants and baggin' them at Joe Patti's. In fact that' what I had for dinner last night. Stopped at Gulf Coast Seafood on 9 Mile Rd and grabbed two pounds for the wife and I. Plenty of left overs for a Mullet sammich today.:thumbup:

I've never caught a Mullet on a pole though.


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## Hopin4aboat

Thread jack

*Mullet “on the Fly”*
*By CAPT GENE ZAMBA*
**The mullet is perhaps the most intriguing fish in our waters. Everyone knows that they are herbivores-- eating only grasses and other vegetation -- and rarely ever striking any of our baits. True, sometimes we accidentally hook a mullet while jigging for other species, but most of the time these unique fish graze the day long on our flats. Now, Capt. Gene Zamba has discovered that these abundant species will actually strike a fly, and has caught many using a fly rod in his Tarpon Springs venue.
*By Capt. Gene Zamba*I’ve had the good fortune to travel a great deal and fly-fish in many countries such as Russia, New Zealand, Finland, Australia, Christmas Islands and, on my last trip, one of my most interesting, to England. 

I met up with a local guide Nick Hart in Portsmouth in a small fishing village near Newport, England. Nick is one the “new breed” of guides in the UK trying to push the idea of saltwater fly-fishing. If you have ever talked with any English fly fishermen you know that they basically fish for carp in rivers and lakes. Saltwater is basically new to them. 
Nick and I were driving to the inlet, which he targeted as a fishing site for our outing. It was a typical UK weather -- a very cold & wet day,. He told me that we’d try to get into some Sea Bass and, if we were lucky, we’d try and hook up some “English Bonefish”. I felt a little dumb, but I asked him anyway – “what the heck is an “English Bonefish?” Nick just smiled and said, “you will see, it’s a surprise. “
As the morning wore on, the Sea Bass were not really paying much attention to our flies. Nick said, “Lets move over to those sand bars and wade fish.” He tied on a small green fly that looked like a very small nymph and handed me one as well. It was so small you would think we were fishing for 6” trout in a New England river. 

Nick pointed to a few head wakes and said get a Fly over there. I made the cast and “bang,” I thought I really had a Bonefish on -- and a big one at that. This fish was in about 8” of water and accelerated lust like a Bonefish, with great speed -- giving my 8wt rod and reel all it could handle. After landing approximately 7 pounder Nick, with the biggest grin on his face, helped me release the fish. When he saw me looking that this so-called “English Bonefish” in amazement, he started laughing out laud. “Gene, He said, now don’t you Florida guides feel like you have been missing something for a lot of years?” You guys call these fish “mullet” right? Of course he knew they were indeed Mullet. 
Later in the day Nick told me that he thought about telling me in advance, but he wanted to make it a surprise. He really did. Since that UK trip, I just love fishing for Mullet on a Fly.
Later in the year Nick visited me in Tarpon Springs. We went Mullet fishing out of the Anclote River. It was mid November and the fall mullet run was in full swing. We must have caught at least 50 Mullet each in the 3 to 4 pound range and a few over 4 pounds. 
It’s certainly not hard to find Mullet around Florida, and catching them on a fly couldn’t be easier. Just use a small dark green fly -- a small nymph on a number 10 hook with a little dark green dubbing. Nothing fancy just try about 3 or 4 different colors of green and maybe even a few yellow/greens. You should use a 4-pound leader about 6 feet of floating line and give it a try. If the fish are a little spooky, as they are most of the time, try chumming with breadcrumbs or small bits of white bread.
It’s been some 3 years since Nick introduced me to this Mullet fishing on a Fly, and I have been turning my clients onto it ever since. They all get a big thrill out it. Using a 6 or 7 wt rod, you really can’t tell the difference between having on a 4-pound Bonefish in Keys or a 4-pound Mullet in Tarpon Springs. A lot of my clients will back me up on that. They all agree that we have all been missing something. If you want to have loads of fly fishing fun, give it a try yourself. You will not be disappointed. I’m sure you too will even feel like you have been missing something, just as I did. If you are a bit uneasy telling people that you’ve been fly-fishing for Mullet, just say that you are fishing for “English Bonefish” and let them figure it out.


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## Seanpcola

Hopin4aboat, that is an awesome and interesting article. Thanks.


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## hubbyandwife

Thats not mullet....its Skipjack! Haha. Couldnt resist. . They have some fantastic mullet at chets...besr around.


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## bobinbusan

Is this everyday for the mullet or a certain day of the week? :whistling:


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## Radmcg

great article. I almost think this is kind of like a snipe. I'm going to go try this and everybody will laugh


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## bobinbusan

What day of the week is the mullet on??????:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::whistling::whistling::whistling::thumbsup:


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## Radmcg

Thursday friday and Saturday. At Chets that is.


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## Gaff

Yesterday was the first time I've had mullet and I decided to head over to Chet's. The mullet was not bad, tasted great with he coleslaw, hush puppies and fries. But I was rather disapointed with the serving size. The size of the filets were rather small, considering mullet is not an expensive fish. Other than that, I finished off my wife's seafood gumbo which filled me up.


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## Seanpcola

I love Chet's but had some great Mullet last night at Wayne's Family Diner at Pine Forest and I-10. So, if any of you live out this way and are lazy bastards like I am then this is a good alternate. 

Yeah Gaff, that's how it works for me. My wife eats like a bird so I always score her leftovers. It's taken years but I have secretly brainwashed her so that power of suggestion during ordering nets me whatever else I want. :whistling: We always leave with a go box and I like to be sure it's filled with whatever I feel like snacking on later. In fact I'm eating leftover Mullet, cole slaw and baked beans as I type this. :thumbup:


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## Seanpcola

Wow, reading back through I missed the reference to Rusty's. Anyone on here remember the original Rusty's at the boat ramp, the old dilapidated one? Gawd I loved that place. They'd bring out the Mullet in a big dish pan along with a tub of cole slaw. All you can eat. Served on paper plates with those disposable wooden forks (remember those?). All drinks served in the bottle or can. My dad used to take me there a lot. Only place back then you could take a fish craving growing boy and let him graze till full without breaking the bank. 

Also got a lot of entertainment watching boaters trying to pull their boats up that steep slick ramp. A lot of rubber left around there.


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## Radmcg

Sorry to hear that Gaff. Did you get a whole or a half order. They do both. Actually funny I have eaten there before and finished before my wife and the waitress actually just brought more fish out for me without saying anything. Hopefully things aren't changing there. I was very concerned when Chet died ( aside from missing his great personality) but that has been years ago and nothing seemed to change. They actually changed the french fries one time and when I made a passing comment on it the waitress told me so many people had complained they were changing back :thumbup:. Hope its not the beggining of "Change at Chets".


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## Seanpcola

Meant to ask about this:

Anyone fry with cotton seed oil? I haven't tried it yet, I usually use Peanut oil like most of you. A friend that lives out of town said he tried it for cooking fish and loved it. Said it didn't leave any taste compared to Peanut or other oils.

I did some research and according to the website (Take this for what it's worth, it IS the internet after all so of course everything is true :whistling

Cotton seed oil is purer, cleaner and usually more refined and distilled

Supposed to be lower in saturated fats

Maintains temp better and scorches at a higher temp than Peanut oil

Now here is the part I wonder about and not sure I trust:

Doesn't retain the flavor of previous cooked foods and can be stored after cooking fish then reused later without getting rancid.

I haven't priced it but my buddy said that in his area Cotton seed and Peanut Oil were extremely close in cost. I don't know about around here but plan on checking it out.


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## bamaman08

Radmcg said:


> Seanpcola do you net them or hook them. I was always told you couldn't catch them on a hook till I saw an old man with a cane pole up on the fish river. He put rabbit food in a mesh laundry bag and let it sit in the water for a couple of hours as chum. Then he used a number 6 gold hook. Baited it with little bitty piece of red wiggler and pulled about 10 mullet in in about 15 minutes. He actually never touched them he just picked up the pole and set them on the bank. I don't even think he had to change the worm or at least I didn't see him. I maybe wrong but I think he had done that before!


You can definitely catch them just like you're describing. We do it on the alabama river and use dog food instead of rabbit. Sometime's you'll tear em up. I went with my grandfather and uncle last summer and we caught enough to fill 2 54 qt ice boxes and a 5 gallon bucket in 3-4 hours.


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## EODangler

Seanpcola said:


> Meant to ask about this:
> 
> Anyone fry with cotton seed oil? I haven't tried it yet, I usually use Peanut oil like most of you. A friend that lives out of town said he tried it for cooking fish and loved it. Said it didn't leave any taste compared to Peanut or other oils.
> 
> I did some research and according to the website (Take this for what it's worth, it IS the internet after all so of course everything is true :whistling
> 
> Cotton seed oil is purer, cleaner and usually more refined and distilled
> 
> Supposed to be lower in saturated fats
> 
> Maintains temp better and scorches at a higher temp than Peanut oil
> 
> Now here is the part I wonder about and not sure I trust:
> 
> Doesn't retain the flavor of previous cooked foods and can be stored after cooking fish then reused later without getting rancid.
> 
> I haven't priced it but my buddy said that in his area Cotton seed and Peanut Oil were extremely close in cost. I don't know about around here but plan on checking it out.



I actually just fried some fish in cottonseed oil last week. It was delicious!! Slightly cheaper than peanut oil, but I couldn't find it at the store today, so I paid $15 for a gallon of peanut oil. Cottonseed oil was $10 for a gallon. I think I reused the oil at least 3 or 4 times and never really strained it properly and it got a little fishy on the last batch.

Definitely recommend trying it.


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## Seanpcola

EODangler said:


> I actually just fried some fish in cottonseed oil last week. It was delicious!! Slightly cheaper than peanut oil, but I couldn't find it at the store today, so I paid $15 for a gallon of peanut oil. Cottonseed oil was $10 for a gallon. I think I reused the oil at least 3 or 4 times and never really strained it properly and it got a little fishy on the last batch.
> 
> Definitely recommend trying it.



Thank you, I appreciate the info. I'll give it a try. :thumbsup:


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## Gaff

I had the half order which is actually 2/3 order. The waitress said half order has 4 where the full has 6 pieces. Even with the full order, the filets would have been the same size. I suppose I was expecting catfish size filets like at Dave's catfish house in Milton. You get stuffed at that place and have left overs. Mmmmmm, I love some fresh fried catfish.


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