Recipes / Methods for Cooking Trout with a Jetboil Minimo

[Wilson M]

Hi y’all, I’m looking for some lightweight ideas on cooking trout along the PCT.

I’m planning a solo PCT Section hike SOBO through the Sierras in September and am planning to take my Tenkara rod along. This’ll be my first long trip backpacking with it and first trip in the Sierra. I’d like to supplement (but not fully replace) a few meals with fresh trout. I’m planning on keeping base weight relatively low (15-18lbs) and don’t want to bring a pot attachment or frying pan, only my jet boil Minimo. I’m also planning to have a few ziploc bags and possibly a few foil packs.

I’m assuming that pretty much any recipe would have to involve boiling filleted trout either in a plastic baggie in water in the Minimo cup or directly in the Minimo itself-(I realize preventing scorching will be difficult here at the bottom.) I found a recipe on Jetboil’s site for a trout Thai curry that looks decent, but does anyone have anything they like that would be similar-like a backcountry trout stew or curry-cooked on a Jetboil Minimo?

(I realize there are plenty of much lighter options than the Minimo and that it’s not designed to cook fish fillets in, but I just really like the whole setup of it for cooking most other things in the backcountry.)

If all else fails, I’ll have salt/pepper/olive oil and a couple of the aluminum foil packs to cook with anywhere I can make a small fire. Appreciate the help and ideas.

[Gary Dunckel]

One of the great things about the MiniMo is that the burner has a great simmering capability. You should be able to avoid scorching the pot.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Cook rice and steam the trout on top.  The rice will absorb a lot of the juices.  My 2 cents.

[Roger Caffin]

Wood fire, hot dry rock (NOT from a river), and a little oil. Very old.

Cheers

[DAN-Y]

for easy cooking and clean up use parchment paper bags cut to your desired length. 1/2cup water in minimo, put seasoned fish in bag, steam cook in bag. Eat directly out of bag.

 

[David Thomas]

Unless you’re a fabulous fisherman, don’t count on supplementing calories with fish on a well-traveled trail.  Someone else has already caught all the dumb fish along the PCT.

Can it be done?  Sure.  I know one Alaskan (out of hundreds) who I think could rely on catching fish in that setting.  And I know one Californian (out of many hundreds) who I’ve seen repeatedly go out fishing on a day when everyone else was getting 0 or 1 or 2 come back to camp quietly.  Did you catch any, Ron?  Yeah.  A lot?  Some.  How many?  Hmm, about 60.  Those two guys can think like a fish.  If you’re not that guy, don’t go below 1.5 pounds of food a day, unless you want to lose 1/2 pound of body weight each day and then you can carry a bit under a pound/day and hope for fish.

Also realize that making miles takes time but fishing also takes time.  You can’t do big miles AND catch fish.  In the Aleutians?  Yeah, I can.  On some tributary of the Yukon?  Sure.  Kayaking coastal Alaska?  Yup.  The PCT?  Nope.  Hike off-trail from the PCT for 1-2 miles and into some hanging valley with a lake in it?  MUCH better chances there.

But as to your actual question:  It doesn’t take much time or temperature to cook fish.  Less than almost any other thing in your food bag.  Stupid easy AND cheap?  A $1 Knorr Pasta Side or Rice Side from Walmart.  Put fillets in with rice/pasta in the pouch.  Add boiling water.  Leave in a cozy for 7 minutes.  Done!

For the foil-packet option (where you can have wood fires), bring some condiments packets from restaurants.  Soy sauce.  Salsa.  Salt & pepper.  Sriracha sauce.  Duck sauce.  Etc.  Use a different one each night.

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