Forage: How to ice fish for wild trout — and turn it into a delicious fry bread sandwich
Chef Shawn Adler shows us what to cook with our catch — plus a delicious backup for when fish aren’t biting
Anishinaabe chef Shawn Adler has been harvesting wild edibles since his mother first showed him how as a child. In each episode of Forage, he teaches us how to source in-season ingredients from our own backyards and sustainably forage them, before turning them into a delicious dish we can make and devour in our own kitchens.
Chef Shawn Adler speaks from experience when he tells us, “Ice fishing makes you hungry.” That’s one of the reasons why a warming, post-fish meal is both satisfying and necessary — even when you don’t actually catch anything. In this episode of Forage, Adler sets out to provide a full primer on catching wild fish in the cold, Canadian winter, and ends up teaching us the most important ice fishing lesson of all: come prepared with a backup plan (in this case, extra protein). Check out the video below to see how the adventure shakes out, then scroll down to grab the recipe for the perfect sandwich, made with a fresh catch and his family’s go-to fry bread.
Trout with Fiddlehead Tartar Sauce and Fry Bread
By Shawn Adler
Ingredients
Tartar Sauce:
- 1 dill pickle, finely chopped
- ¼ cup dill, finely chopped
- ¼ cup blanched fiddleheads, finely chopped
- 1 cup mayo
Fry Bread:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- Oil for frying
Trout:
- 1 large trout filet, pin bones removed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation
Tartar Sauce:
In a small bowl combine the pickle, dill, fiddleheads, mayo and a pinch of both salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Fry Bread:
Preheat frying oil to 350˚F. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, incorporate the butter by pinching it into the flour. Continue this process until the butter is in pea-sized amounts. Pour in the egg and milk and stir until a dough is formed.
Grab a small handful of dough and gently flatten it between your palms before
carefully placing it into the hot oil. Cook on each side until golden brown. Let drain on a baking sheet covered in paper towel.
Trout:
Place the flour in a shallow dish and whisk in a pinch of both salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour ensuring to coat all sides, tap off the excess.
In a non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat, drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pan fry the fish for 3 minutes on each side until it’s just cooked through.
Serve the fish on fry bread with the tartar sauce.
