Gone Fishin’
For whatever reason, I have always associated Father’s Day with camping or living in the mountains. I have no idea why. I guess dads and camping kinda go hand in hand? Growing up we didn’t do a lot of camping and the only mountain living we did was in a condo at Tahoe. Perhaps I have seen too many movies, read too many books or looked at too many L.L. Bean catalogs but the picture of frying fresh rainbow trout by the side of a river in a cast iron skillet over a campfire is what I see when I think of Father’s Day.

I have the perfect skillet for it too; My grandfather’s vintage 9-inch cast iron skillet that he would take with him on camping trips building trails in the early days of the Sierra Club. That skillet has seen a lot of miles. On a whim, I pulled it out not too long ago and pan-fried for dinner some of the excellent trout we have in our meat case. Trout is not usually something I make often—mainly because it just seems so much better eating it on the banks of the river you just pulled it from but that night it hit the spot.

We all over-ate.

Trout is best prepared simply. You can dredge it in a little flour or cornmeal to give it a little crunch or, like I did, heat a little butter and olive oil in the pan and fry it up as is. Squeeze a little lemon on it and it’s heaven on a plate.

We are hoping to get away and do a little camping as a family this summer though unfortunately, it won’t be for Father’s Day this year. If you find yourself with the time and the inclination, I encourage you to grab a tent and your fishing pole and find your own A River Runs Through it moment…just don’t forget the pan.

Pan-Fried Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce
Yields 4 servings 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
3 lemons, juiced and 1 lemon, zested and reserved
Sea salt
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 (10 to 12-ounce) trout, boned, belly flap removed, rinsed and patted dry, heads and tails left on
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
On a large plate, combine the bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, zest of 1 lemon and sea salt, to taste.

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and the juice of 1 lemon. Using a basting brush, brush both sides of the trout with mustard mixture. Next, coat the fish on both sides with the seasoned bread crumbs by pressing firmly to adhere the crumbs to the fish.

Preheat the oven to 250 ºF.

Coat a large skillet with about 1/4 to 1/2-inch of olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the fish to the pan, skin side down, and cook the fish 2/3’s of the way (about 6 to 7 minutes).

Carefully turn the fish over and cook the other side until the fish is brown and crispy (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Remove the fish from the pan and drain on paper towels. After the first batch is done and dried on paper towels reserve it on a rack in the warmed oven.

Make the butter and lemon sauce
When all the fish has been fried, remove the oil and any brown bits from the pan. Add the butter and remaining lemon juice and swirl to combine as the butter melts. Season with salt, to taste, and continue to cook until it reduces by about half.

Transfer the fish to a serving platter, drizzle with the butter lemon sauce and serve.