Reports

One question I get asked an awful lot is, “how do you like to cook lake trout?”   I never have a set answer for this question.  I fry them, grill them, smoke them, make chowder and so on.  There are a lot of ways to prepare them.  First off, I’ll say that I probably eat more lake trout than any other freshwater fish, primarily since I guide them throughout much of the year.  If a client of mine has kept what he wants or is primarily a catch and release angler or  if we get an injured fish or one around a size that suites me – say 20″ to 24″, I’ll often keep it.  Of course I love eating walleyes, perch, crappies, salmon and other species as well, but lake trout are my bread-and-butter fish.

I’ve been swinging by a lot of Amish and Mennonite farm stands lately and trying to purchase vegetables in season.  Whether you grow it or buy it, a lot of us wind up with more zucchini than we know what to do with.  What I’ve been doing recently is sautéing sliced zucchini in olive oil and adding in whatever other vegetables I have around with it:  peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and so forth.  I’m basically making a variation of ratatouille.  I add in some salt and pepper and a few crushed hot pepper flakes and cook everything down.  I then add in chunks of lake trout and cover the pan for around 5 minutes.  This cooks the fish perfectly.  You can top your plate with some grated cheese and/or lemon juice and voila, you have a delicious, nutritious meal.  I’ve really gotten into preparing fish this way this summer and it’s also delicious with any other firm white fish like halibut or ling cod.  Of course you can do it with chicken or seafood as well.