Recipes for the Trail: Fish Feast

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Cold-water trout contain healthy doses of omega 3 fatty acids and protein. Learn where to find ’em (“Where Can I Find America’s Largest Grillable Trout“) and how to catch ’em (“Casting Call“), clean ’em (“Prep a Fish for Dinner“), and fry ’em (which seals in the tasty flavor) with these four easy recipes.

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout

Lemons and olives deliver a flavorful punch.

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 lemon

1/3 cup oil-cured olives

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon cooking oil

2 cleaned whole trout

At Home

Combine salt, lemon pepper, and flour in a gallon-size zip-top bag.

At Camp

Slice lemon into half-inch sections, and set aside. Slice olives. Place trout in the zip-top spice bag and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the inside of the fish with thyme, and cover with lemon and olive slices. Heat oil in pan to sizzling and cook trout until flesh is flaky. Serves 2.

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce

Crunchy and flavorful, this gourmet dish is the trail mix of fish recipes.

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced onion

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch cinnamon

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

2 cleaned whole trout

At Home

Combine spices and flour in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Store cranberries, almonds, and onions separately.

At Camp

Soak cranberries in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes to soften. Place trout in bag with flour and toss to coat. Heat oil in pan to sizzling and fry trout until flesh is flaky (3 to 6 minutes per side depending on size of fish). Simultaneously, make sauce: Add onions to pan and sauté 30 seconds. Add almonds, cranberries, and their water (and butter, if using), and stir to combine. Pour sauce over cooked trout. Serves 2.

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Spicy Southwest Trout

Give your fish a kick with green chile and cornmeal.

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon mild chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 can chopped green chile (4 ounces)

1/4 cup onion, minced

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 cleaned whole trout

At Home

Combine spices and cornmeal in gallon-size zip-top bag.

At Camp Place trout in bag and toss to coat. Heat oil in pan to sizzling and fry trout until flesh is flaky. Remove trout and keep warm. Add onion to pan and sauté 30 seconds. Stir in chile and serve over trout. Serves 2.

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Trout with Mustard Sauce

This thick, tangy topping dresses up any fish.

1 package McCormick Hollandaise sauce mix

1/4 cup butter (or 4 tablespoons olive oil)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 cup water

4 trout fillets

At Camp

Heat oil in pan until sizzing. Cook fish until flesh is flaky. To make sauce, fork-whisk water, butter (or olive oil), and contents of sauce packet. Add mustard and tarragon and bring to a boil. Pour over trout. Serves 3.

For a side dish, flavored rice goes well with trout. We like Lipton’s Creamy Garlic Parmesan and Herb and Butter.

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit

Pack a Fish Kit

Bring a 10-inch frying pan (nonstick coatings speed cleanup).

Flip fish with a plastic spatula. Fillet smaller fish with a pocketknife or multitool blade. For bigger fish (12 inches or more), pack a 6-inch fillet knife.

Pack olive oil and heat it to sizzling before adding fish: Fast, high heat seals in juices better than slow cooking at low temps.

RECIPES FOR THE TRAIL: UNDERGROUND CUISINE

Need greens to go with your trout dinner? Click above to learn how to find trailside veggies.

Mediterranean Stuffed Trout | Whole Trout with Cranberry-Almond Sauce | Spicy Southwest Trout | Trout with Mustard Sauce | Pack a Fish Kit