Great Lakes Whitefish

Chef Cynthia Manning

Sous Chef, Shaw Hall, Michigan State University – East Lansing, Michigan

Fish catches on with college students

For most of her professional career, Cynthia Manning has been cooking for students, and says that fish—especially Great Lakes whitefish—is becoming a more frequent menu choice among residents of Michigan State University’s Shaw Hall.

“Fish consumption has gone way up, whereas the fish percentage was about 10% for the last couple of years, we are using fish at 25% this year, serving lake whitefish about once a week.” She attributes part of the increase to the larger number of Asian students, but also observes, “Today’s student is much more sophisticated. They have a much more sophisticated palette than students from 15-20 years ago.”

So, instead of serving just baked fish, they needed to come up with different recipes. The students like lake whitefish prepared with dill, also with hollandaise sauce. There are some more complex recipes using coatings, and she’s planning to diversify even more by taking a seafood course in early 2010 at the Culinary Institute of America, where she got much of her formal culinary education.

Manning learned to cook at home, helping her mother prepare dinner after a day’s work outside the home. In her early 20s, she decided she liked it well enough to take on a house full of fraternity brothers--planning, shopping and preparing their lunches and dinners. Upon moving back to Michigan, she got a job cooking in MSU’s residence halls for several years. 

Then she was promoted to chef for a couple prominent families. First, at Cowles’ House for MSU’s president, then for Michigan’s governor, handling both their family meals and their entertaining. While working at the governor’s mansion on Mackinac Island, she encountered Great Lakes whitefish.

“I like the texture of it and it just has a very delicate flavor. It cooks quickly. It’s a very versatile fish because of its delicate flavor. You can spice it up or it can definitely stand on its own just baked with a little salt and pepper. But it’s also good in chowder.”

“I used to buy smoked whitefish at Bell’s Fishery, and I learned from a friend a recipe for smoked lake whitefish salad. So I would always make that because it was one of Mrs. Engler’s favorite dishes.”

The dish that was good enough for the governor’s wife also made it onto the “All Michigan” menu that Manning offered at Shaw Hall one evening in October 2009. She also developed a recipe for “Potato Encrusted Whitefish” to serve that night with grilled asparagus. And the students ate it up!

Try Chef Cynthia Manning's Potato Encrusted Whitefish or Smoked Whitefish Salad Recipe

Shaw Students Eating Whitefish