Streamside Trout

This is how you cook trout when you’ve just pulled it from the creek and your kitchen is a cast iron skillet over an open flame. Salt, pepper, cornmeal, a hot pan. Nothing else needed.

The cornmeal gives the fillets a golden, crunchy crust that shatters when you break through it, while the fish inside stays tender and flaky. It’s the oldest trick in the outdoorsman’s cookbook, and it works every single time.

Whether you’re cooking streamside or in your home kitchen, this recipe respects the fish by staying out of its way.

Chef Tips

• Get the skillet smoking hot before adding the fillets. A hot pan is what gives you that crispy golden crust instead of a soggy coating.
• Use a paper bag for shaking the fish in cornmeal. It coats evenly and cleanup is tossing the bag in the trash.
• Don’t flip the fillets more than once. Let the crust set on one side before turning.