In The Kitchen with Kent Driscoll

March 24, 2025

In The Kitchen with Kent Driscoll

Phillip Gentry

 

B’n’M Pro Staff Manager Kent Driscoll wears a lot of hats. Along with his responsibilities of coordinating and promoting B’n’M’s roster of fishing professionals, he represents some of the most respected brands in the outdoor industry. Driscoll is no slouch on the fat end of a fishing rod either and is well versed in the many ways to catch America’s favorite gamefish.

What might surprise you is when Driscoll puts on his chef’s hat and expertly maneuvers his way around a kitchen.

“For almost as long as I’ve loved the outdoors, I’ve loved to cook,” said Driscoll. “To me it’s hard to be a well-rounded sportsman if you aren’t preparing, cooking, and serving the fruits you bring home from the field.”

While crappie fishing is not all about filling the freezer, making use of the resource is one of the best things about the sport.

With “crappie season” in full swing around much of the country, anglers tend to find themselves with ample supplies of the tasty panfish. The old adage of “release to the grease” is fine, but there are lots of other dimensions to cooking crappie than just deep frying them.

“It’s important to take care of the resource, especially this time of year when the big females are coming in to lay eggs,” said Driscoll. “I’m a firm believer in keeping a few back for the table and releasing the rest so all anglers and especially our kids and their kids can enjoy what we have.”

Driscoll said one of his favorite crappie recipes is a dip that he makes with smoked crappie fillets. He said the dish is a great addition for potluck dinners and parties that can be prepared ahead of time and shared with family and friends. He was more than happy to share his recipe with B’n’M fans.

 

Kent Driscoll’s Smoked Crappie Dip:                           

Mix all these ingredients large bowl. 

1 1/2 cup Mayo              

1 stick cream cheese

2 cups fine chopped celery

1/2 cup fine chopped onion

1 tbsp Parsley or cilantro

1 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp Garlic powder 

1 tbsp Hot sauce

3 tbsp Capers

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce     

 Sprinkle crappie filets with light coating of Olive Oil and Old Bay Seasoning. Smoke 2-3lbs of crappie fillets in aluminum pan on green egg*. Combine all ingredients with fine chopped smoked crappie. Chill for 3-4 hours till mixture is tacky. Make sure and add your favorite wood chips to infuse heavy smoke. Spread on your favorite cracker and enjoy.  

Smoking fresh-caught crappie fillets adds some great flavor to the fish and is a great way to spice up a dish.

Driscoll offers a spicier substitution for this recipe which is created by adding 1 cup of Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce instead of Worcestershire.

To prepare the crappie fillets for smoking, it’s best to thaw them out completely, if frozen, and lay them on a plate and pat completely dry with paper towels. Crappie can be pre-marinated in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper a half hour before placing on the smoker or the mixture can be brushed on the fish right after being placed on the grill.

Kent Driscoll’s Smoked Crappie Dip is great by itself or on a salad and makes a great dish to take to a party.

*Whether you use a wood chip smoker, which is Driscoll’s preference or a pellet smoker, make sure to smoke the fish at a low temperature between 180 – 225 degrees until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees. Depending on the smoker and temperature, that can take from 40 minutes up to 2 hours.

Once the fillets are off the smoker, allow them to cool to room temperature and then trim away any edges that may hardened due to the long-term heating process. 

“I promise this recipe will be a huge hit with friends and family.  Please enjoy,” said Driscoll.  

 

Wherever fishing takes you, B’n’M has been there. For all you fishing needs, visit our website at bnmpoles.com

 

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