REGION — Ice fishing provides the opportunity to make use of a whole fish, a gift that keeps on giving. Roasted whole and fillets peeling off the spine makes for a delicate main course. The remaining meat can then be whipped into a decadent pâté. Use the head and bones to make a rich fish stock to serve as the base for future recipes.

The following recipe was made from a 4 lb. Lake Trout caught at Clearwater Pond in Industry.

 

Roasted and Stuffed Lake Trout

3-4 lb. whole fish, gutted and cleaned

2 T. olive oil

2 Cups old sourdough bread, cubed

1 Cup of milk

1⁄4 stick of salted butter

1 white onion, medium diced

1 fresh fennel bulb, medium diced

1 T. of dried dill

1 bundle of fresh thyme, finely chop half

1 t. of red pepper flakes

3 bay leaves

1 carrot, medium diced

2 stalks of celery, medium diced

4 garlic cloves (2 chopped finely and 2 smashed)

8 oz. of baby portabella mushrooms, medium diced

1 bunch of fresh parsley (finely chop half)

1 bottle of dry white wine, 1⁄2 for cooking and 1⁄2 for drinking

1 lemon cut in thin slices

Prepare the fish

Remove the gills from the fish, rinse, pat dry. Score each side of the fish three to four times with 1⁄4 inch slits. Rub the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, set aside.

Prepare the stuffing

Toss the bread cubes with salt and pepper and soak in milk, set aside. On medium-low heat, butter and sauté onions and fennel with dill, red pepper flakes, half a bundle of chopped thyme, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. When the fennel and onions start to soften, after about four minutes, add the carrot and celery. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper. After the vegetables are soft, add chopped garlic and 1 Cup of wine to the pan, gently simmer until the wine evaporates. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft over medium heat, adding more butter or oil if necessary. Fold everything into the bread cubes along with the chopped parsley.

Roasting the fish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add stuffing to fish cavity and place any remaining stuffing in an oiled cast iron and bake until firm and top is browned. Take several slices of lemon and parsley sprigs and arrange across the stuffing inside of the fish. Pour 2 Cups of wine into a roasting pan long enough to hold the fish.

Add a couple lemon slices, whole sprigs of parsley and thyme, 2 bay leaves, 2 smashed garlic cloves, remaining fennel and salt and pepper to the wine. Place the fish on a roasting rack in the roasting pan and pour a little wine over entire fish. Arrange remaining lemon slices across the fish. Bake in the upper level of the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until skin starts to brown (cooking times will vary depending on size of fish). Carefully flip fish over and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes or until skin starts to brown and flesh flakes easily off the bone.

Note:  Stuffing in fish cavity may need to be scooped out and baked for additional time if still soggy.

To serve

After cooling, run knife across spine from head to tail. From spine, peel fillets of meat off bone towards you. Serve fillets with stuffing and generous spoonfuls of the pan’s cooking liquid.

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