Cooking trout stream side (or lakeside) is easy to do if you plan ahead and bring the right equipment and ingredients.
Although our fishing program is catch and release only, if you find yourself with some fresh trout here is a great recipe!
To cook the trout you will need fire, either from a camp stove or campfire. You will also need a pan to fry the trout in. (Foil would work in a pinch, but tends to steam the fish rather than put a crisp skin on it.)
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine cornmeal
1 closeable plastic bag for flours
1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
Equipment:
Camp stove or campfire
1 light weight (titanium) camping fry pan
Matches or lighter
Utensils for turning and eating the trout
Procedure:
1. Catch delicious trout and clean the fish by slicing open the belly and removing the entrails. Rinse with stream water.
2. Heat the fry pan over the fire/stove, melt the half the butter until bubbling (save half butter for next batch).
3. Season the trout with salt and pepper and dredge trout in the flour/cornmeal mixture in the bag (like shake-n-bake).
4. Fry the trout in the butter. The butter will brown a bit, but this is what you want! Fry on one side about 5 minutes, then turn the trout and fry another 5 minutes and check for doneness.
5. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze a little juice onto the finished trout, and season again with salt and pepper. Yum!
The time you’ll want to fry the trout will vary depending on the size of the fish. Personally, I like to keep small brook trout, they taste best, cook up quickly, and you only need a few to make a good meal. If you’re working with a14 inch rainbow, you may need to be cut into smaller pieces or cook it longer.
Fresh, wild Rocky Mountain trout is a rare treat that is best enjoyed out of doors and with just enough seasoning to highlight the fish’s delicate flavor. What better way to enjoy it than near the sounds of water, taking in the crisp mountain air?