Fresh-Caught Seneca Lake Trout with Peppercorns and Paprika

June 22nd, 2009

One of the greatest parts of our Finger Lakes trip was a fishing excursion we went on the night we arrived. E had suggested the idea of catching something and cooking it ourselves on a cedar plank. As adventurous as that sounded, I had my doubts. There were so many things to consider! How do we fillet the fish? What do we cook it on? Where do we cook it? Will it taste good? E reassured me that all would be OK. I put a little faith in him, and below is the result, conjured up with a disposable grill from Walmart, some spices and vegetables from a grocery store near the lake. This simple, fresh dish can be recreated in any wilderness that you find yourself in!

Ingredients:

Fresh-Caught Lake Trout (or anything else you can reel up)
1 Red Onion
1 package cremini mushrooms
3 lemons
Black Peppercorns
Paprika Spice Rub
Salt

Portable Grill
Plastic Bags
Cedar Plank
Tongs
Knife

1) Spend 4 hours fishing and then finally catch something just as the sun is going down. Or, be a lot more skilled than myself and catch something for dinner sooner ;) If you’re with a guide, have him debone and fillet the fish for you.

2) Build a fire with the portable grill and allow the flames to subside for a few minutes. As the fire calms down, use the cedar plank as a cutting board and slice your red onion and lemon. Mix a few tablespoons of peppercorns and spice rub in a plastic bag. Shake to combine. Smash the spice mixture a bit with your hand so the peppercorns crack open.

Our fire by the marina at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel

3) Place the fish fillets in the plastic bag with the spice mixture. Shake and toss the bag so the mixture spreads generously over the fish. Place the fillets on the grill and squeeze lemon juice onto each.

4) Coarsely chop the mushrooms and thinly slice the remaining lemons. Place red onion, mushrooms and lemon slices on the grill. Put the cedar plank on top of the fish and vegetables. Let the fish cook for about five minutes then flip it over. Periodically toss the vegetables and onions so that they cook evenly. Season everything with salt to taste. Let everything cook for 5-10 minutes or until desired doneness.

5) The mushrooms will likely take longer than everything else so place them in a new plastic bag to steam for a bit after you remove everything else.

We enjoyed our trout with an awesome Red Burgundy that I brought on the trip, an Albert Morot Premier Cru “Marconnets” ‘93. The fruit was pure and soft after aging, a lovely complement to our fresh fish. Our dinner wasn’t fancy but it was so satisfying. It’s hard to beat nice fish, fresh vegetables, a beautiful lake, and great wine.

Related Posts:
Red Snapper Tacos with Papaya Salsa

Tom Kha Gai Soup (Ginger, Chicken and Coconut Soup)

Roasted Lamb with Charmoula

Filed under Fish, Recipes, Wine Touring | Comments (5)

5 Responses to “Fresh-Caught Seneca Lake Trout with Peppercorns and Paprika”

  1. Suzee on June 22, 2009 8:16 pm

    I can’t think of anything better than cooking fish on the campfire when it was caught that day. Next time you could add baby potatoes to your veggie mix or put them in tin foil. I’m so glad I can’t count how many times my family had this dinner when I was growing up. It was tradition to have blueberry pancakes on a griddle on the fire too, but they aren’t as good as the fish :) I’m glad you got to have it too!

  2. Dave Campbell on June 23, 2009 5:01 am

    Erika –

    I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to the beautiful Finger Lakes. I’ve been going up there the past 12 years with my family to enjoy all the wonderful elements they have to offer. It’s simply amazing up there and we have fallen in love with the area.

    I have to ask, however, why you would bring a bottle of Burgundy to another regions’ “wine country”? I think the Finger Lakes has a plethora of exciting wines that pair up wonderfully with your Lake Trout. Not to mention, I believe that several producers are making world-class wines at an incredible value. I’m guessing it was a pretty good bottle of Burgundy, but I’m wondering if you would trek a bottle of Finger Lakes Riesling on your next trip to Burgundy to enjoy with their cuisine?

    Dave Campbell
    Warwick, NY

  3. Erika on June 23, 2009 10:15 am

    Hi Dave– I meant no disrespect to the region, we enjoyed a lot of Finger Lakes wines during the trip as I mentioned in some of my other posts. This was just a special bottle for us that we were excited to have.

  4. Melissa Dobson on June 24, 2009 9:39 am

    Geez guys,

    I don’t think it’s necessary to over think things. Erika, you and E had a special bottle that you wanted to enjoy on your trip, so I’m glad that you did so. Why take the fun out of things, if you want a bottle on your trip that isn’t from the region you’re visiting, break it open :)

    Your support for our region is evident via your posts about FLX wines you tasted and things you did here. Cheers!

    Melissa Dobson

  5. Erika Strum on June 24, 2009 9:48 am

    Thanks Melissa! Appreciate it.

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