BCJ_SUMMER17 Digital Edition

BACKCOUNTRY BISTRO
BY JACK HENNESSY
TROUT
CROSTINI
I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO EXPECT. A photo of
a six-inch brown trout posted on Facebook, a quick, innocuous
attempt at humor.
Within seconds, comments from friends started stacking up:
“Unless you have hands the size of Shaq’s, I don’t believe that is a
keeper.” Another: “Nice keychain!”
However, when fishing the Kinnickinnic River in northwestern
Wisconsin, there is a great deal of logic behind adding smaller
trout to your creel.
The Kinni, a 22 mile-long coldwater ecosystem, is home to
anywhere from 5,000 to 12,000 trout per mile, making it one
of the most productive trout streams in the country. It’s simply a
baby trout factory and is listed by the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources as a Class 1 stream, its highest ranking.
The slope of the river results in continually moving riffles that
flush sediment and silt from cobble areas, creating a coarse river
bottom. These conditions both facilitate the production of aquatic
insects – a trout’s primary food source – and serve as great trout
spawning habitat.
But because the number of trout over 15 inches is low compared
to other waters throughout the state, anglers are not allowed
to retain any trout over 12 inches. The limit is five per day.
The idea is simple: The removal of smaller trout means less
competition for food, so big fish grow bigger.
“It is a density-dependent thing,” said Heath Benike, fish team
supervisor for the Eau Claire area. “We have a lot of smaller fish,
but down the road we would like less, but larger fish. We are
trying to break the stigma where anglers want to release all trout,
so we are encouraging people to follow the regulations. They are
there for a reason.”
But the question remains: How does one get any meat off a
six-inch brown trout?
Trout crostini can easily be prepared at home or streamside. It
requires only a portable grill and a few ingredients, which will fit
well in any small cooler. Searing the entire trout over flames allows
you to pick all meat from the bones. This snack or appetizer is easily
prepared, so it can serve as a quick shore lunch before hitting
the river for the afternoon bite.
Read more
about out-ofkitchen
food prep at
backcountry
hunters.org
KINNI BROWN TROUT CROSTINI
Makes two appetizer-sized servings.
3 small brown trout, 6 to 10 inches, yielding 6 to 8 ounces total
8-inch loaf of French bread
12 large cherry tomatoes
2 ounces fresh basil, chiffonade
1 teaspoon sea salt, for garnish
Olive oil mix:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large clove of fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
To prep trout: Per usual, gut and wash fish on site to ensure
freshness and taste. When ready to eat, remove the scales with
the back edge of a knife by scraping against the grain from tail to
head. A duller sheen should remain on all sides.
To prep basil, olive oil mix and bread ahead of trip: Cut basil
chiffonade style, into thin strips, by rolling leaves and cutting
across. In a small mixing bowl, add olive oil, minced garlic, parmesan
and cayenne, and mix thoroughly. Cut French bread diagonally
into 1-inch pieces.
To grill trout, tomatoes and bread: Make certain grill is both
clean and hot. Place cherry tomatoes on skewer at rim of grill,
far outside center of heat. Lay trout on grill just outside center
of heat. Cover grill with lid but make certain to monitor trout so
they don’t burn. Use tongs to flip trout by gripping at the head
after two to four minutes. Skin should flake off, perhaps with dark
muscle, which is a good thing for picking off meat. Turn tomatoes
to heat all sides with minimal charring and remove when they are
soft. Remove trout after two to four more minutes, once they are
fully cooked. Add slices of bread to the hot grill and turn quickly.
To assemble: Pick trout meat thoroughly from bones. Pour half
a spoonful of oil mix over each slice of bread. Place two tomatoes
atop each slice and smash down. Add picked trout meat to slices
and top with fresh basil and a tiny pinch of sea salt.
Jack is a freelance outdoors journalist based out of Minneapolis
and author of the blog “Braising the Wild.” Follow him on Twitter
and Instagram @WildGameJack or on Facebook, Facebook.com/
BraisingtheWild.
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