Simple and supremely satisfying, this fried trout recipe works well over a fire in backcountry or on the stove in your kitchen.
Fried Trout, Smoky Mountain Style
I grew up in the heart of North Carolina’s Great Smokies and from a quite tender age was playing the area’s numerous trout streams with a fly rod in hand. Over the years I have enjoyed countless feasts featuring wild trout, and for all the many ways they can be prepared this method, simple and supremely satisfying, remains my favorite. It works equally well over an open fire in the backcountry or at the stove in your kitchen.
Ingredients
- Two or three cleaned trout per person (small trout, in the six- to ten-inch range, are best)
- Stone ground cornmeal
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Canola oil
Clean the fish, making sure to use your thumb to push the blood line out along the interior of the spine, and leave the heads intact; they make a fine “handle” for holding trout when eating them. Shake vigorously in a Ziploc bag holding corn meal, salt, and pepper.
Fry in a skillet—I’m partial to cast iron but it isn’t ideal for trips involving backpacking—where every ounce counts—until golden brown, turning only once. The oil should be piping hot so that a tiny drop of water “bounces” when it hits the oil. Reduce heat if necessary to avoid burning once the fish are put in the pan.
Ideal accompaniments are fried potatoes and onions along with a green salad. If you are fortunate enough to have access to them, a salad of ramps and branch lettuce (saxifrage) dressed with hot bacon grease is even better.
Lefty Kreh is one of the most experienced, well-prepared, and thoughtful anglers in the world. In this book he shares this wealth of experience with a variety of commonsense solutions to the problems that anglers face. Including: how to pacify a fish, which hook-sharpening tools to use, when & how to take a rod apart when it’s stuck, what to do when a fish runs under your boat, how to dry waders & find leaks, & much more. Buy Now
