How do you prepare and cook your trout while backpacking?

Have a favorite trail recipe or technique you'd like to share? Please do! We also like reviews of various trail food products out there. The Backcountry Food Topix forum is the place to discuss all things related to food and nourishment while in the Sierra wilderness (as well as favorite trail head eateries).
User avatar
gary c.
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1479
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:56 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Lancaster, CA

Post by gary c. »

Thanks' for the suggestions. I will give poaching a try. :nod:
Gary C.
User avatar
mountaineer
Founding Member
Posts: 660
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 8:35 pm
Experience: N/A

Post by mountaineer »

cmon4day wrote:The easiest way to cook your trout is to wrap them in aluminum foil and throw them onto some glowing coals from the fire. About 5-7 a side and they are done. Fast, easy, and they taste goooood.

Vic
Ditto. My extravagance in backcountry cooking is usually a container of squeeze butter and a container of seasoned salt. I wrap the trout in the foil, smothered in a mixture of butter and seasoned salt, do the 5-7/side and then enjoy.
huts

Post by huts »

We used to roll them in cornmeal and then fry but to lighten my pack (now traveling alone) I have gone to poaching in water and tamari sauce. Large fish have to be chunked as my pot is not large.
User avatar
gary c.
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1479
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:56 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Lancaster, CA

Post by gary c. »

I went ahead and ordered on of the saucepans linked below so that I can give poaching a try when I will be in the no campfire areas. Beetween it and my MSR titanium pot they still wiegh less than the pot I carried in the past.
Gary C.

http://www.rei.com/outlet/product/48125 ... _HIKING_SA
User avatar
freestone
Topix Expert
Posts: 963
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 9:42 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: Santa Barbara
Contact:

Post by freestone »

Here is a sample recipe and technique, non backpacking version. These recipes can be service hot or cold so if it doesn't all get eaten at dinner, the leftovers could be lunch the next day. (hold the mayo until serving, use only the mayo packets)

http://www.toptrout.co.uk/acatalog/Topt ... on_34.html
Short cuts make long delays. JRR Tolkien
User avatar
giantbrookie
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Founding Member & Forums Moderator
Posts: 3582
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:22 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Fresno
Contact:

Post by giantbrookie »

[quote="gary c."]I went ahead and ordered on of the saucepans linked below so that I can give poaching a try when I will be in the no campfire areas. Beetween it and my MSR titanium pot they still wiegh less than the pot I carried in the past.
Gary C.

As noted in my earlier post, I essentially poach my fish when in no campfire areas (as does Huts), but I think the key is to use only enough water as necessary. Too much and it is essentially boiled and you lose flavor. Too little, of course and you burn on the bottom before the fish is completely cooked. Similar to Huts I use a sauce (teriyaki, which is pretty similar to tamari sauce), and I also use oil and add a bit of water only if necessary: If I'm getting a bunch of small brookies (cleaned and sitting in the lake on a stringer, say) from the water and flopping them into my pot, there is enough extra water slopping into the pot (along with the fish). If I'm chunking a big fella or two and throwing the chunks into the pot I usually add a smidgen of water in addition to the sauce and oil. The perfect balance is for all the excess liquid to be nearly boiled off right at the time the fish is cooked. Then you have some yummy crunchy stuff on the bottom and not a bunch of excess fish soup slopping around. The oil (olive oil is nice, but even regular vegetable oil such as canola is OK) really enhances the flavor (in by book) in addition to boosting the number of calories (always a good thing while backpacking). Oil is both good and bad when it comes to cleaning. The good, with an old regular lightweight aluminum pot w/o non stick coating (such as mine) is that it keeps the fish from sticking too much. The bad is that, well, it's oily.
Since my fishing (etc.) website is still down, you can be distracted by geology stuff at: http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/facu ... ayshi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Lightning Dog
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:32 am
Experience: N/A
Location: West Hills, CA

Post by Lightning Dog »

I just had my first experience catching and enjoying trout while backpacking. Below Register Creek and then above Waterwheel Falls along the Tuolumne River last week we caught 8" Rainbows and a couple of 10" Browns.
While we hadn't counted on fish for dinner, we had our fingers crossed and I took foil, olive oil, and a tube of Pesto just in case. It turns out that we also had a small frying pan along. First night we pan fried in olive oil. Second night we steamed in foil and Pesto sauce. Both were great!! Also made cheese and pesto quesadillos. Best camp food I've had in a long, long time.
User avatar
mountaineer
Founding Member
Posts: 660
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 8:35 pm
Experience: N/A

Post by mountaineer »

Lightning Dog wrote:I just had my first experience catching and enjoying trout while backpacking.
You have finally LIVED!
User avatar
Sharp Rock
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:11 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Oakdale, CA

Post by Sharp Rock »

mountaineer wrote:
Lightning Dog wrote:I just had my first experience catching and enjoying trout while backpacking.
You have finally LIVED!
You guys are killin me!!! Gotta get back out soon! :p
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11836
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: How do you prepare and cook your trout while backpacking?

Post by maverick »

Trout ceviche which involves zero cooking, and eaten with a tortilla.
Trout curry with sun-dried tomatoes and pita bread, or naan from Trader's Joe.
Trout with almonds and butter which is a classic.
Trout crusted with crumbled wasabi soy nuts.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 28 guests