Release to Grease

The fishing here at Two Dog Outdoors has been good so far this summer. The bass and bluegill have been plentiful and are ready and willing to hit poppers and other top water lures. Suffice to say, between the whoppers of trout we caught this spring and the panfish this summer, our freezer is full of fish. This, in turn, has led me to branch out on our fish recipes so the family wouldn’t be left eating the same ole thing.

Paul is always excited to be able to catch a bluegill big enough to "lip"

Our go to basic panfish recipe is simple. We start by dipping the fish in eggwash, followed by a swim into simple breadcrumbs, then into the hot oil of a cast iron for approximately three minutes a side. This pairs well with corn on the cob, summer avocado and tomato salad, and nice cold watermelon. We never have leftovers.

Our kids favorite trout recipe is fish tacos. We start by rubbing some cumin and chili powder on both sides of the trout fillets, followed by salt and pepper. Then, into the skillet they go skin side down first. The trout cook for three minutes a side, then cool and get shredded or cut into smaller pieces after the skin is discarded. The tacos are then filled with shredded cabbage and homemade tomato salsa, and finished with a squeeze of lime.

If your first thought is not "Get in my belly", something might not be right with you

The most interesting recipe that was a homerun were trout cakes. Think crab cakes, but substitute trout for crab. I cooked the trout first in the cast iron skillet then let it cool and shredded it. Next, combine the trout with seasoning, dill, egg, and breadcrumbs. Finally, brown the cakes in the same pan used to cook the trout. Let these puppies cool and serve over a bed of mixed greens with some spicy ranch dressing and you have a crowd pleaser. This recipe calls for approximately 1-2 trout per 8 cakes so if you are trying to get rid of some fish, pick a different recipe. The cakes can also be frozen after they are formed but before they are browned for up to two weeks.

Trout cakes are making fish recipes great again

We here at Two Dog Outdoors fish local and eat local, keeping the pond fish populations in check. Until deer season starts in another month, we will be working our way through the fish in the freezer. Feel free to share your favorite panfish recipe and happy fishing!!