Try These Fish Recipes With Your Next Catch of Keepers

Try one of the recipes on your next big cath, courtesy of the Missouri Department Conservation Department's cookbook, Cooking Wild In Missouri.

Trout with Toasted Almond Orange Sauce

• 2 trout filets
• vegetable oil
• salt & coarsely ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• juice of 3 oranges
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds

Place fillets on an oiled baking sheet and brush lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in saucepan, add juices and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid by half its volume. Remove form heat and add orange zest.

While sauce is reducing broil fillets until the flesh is opaque. Place and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and parsley. Serves 2.

Smoked Fish

Brine for soaking fish:

• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 4 pounds fish
• 1 quart hickory wood chips or twigs

Mix the first five ingredients together and pour into a large ceramic or glass pan. Add fish (whole or fillets)  making sure brine covers the fish completely. Cover and chill for 30 –45 minutes. Don’t over brine fish or it could become too salty. Remove from brine and place in smoker or a kettle-covered grill. Put thicker fish on top rack. Smoke for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Smoking tips. Soak wood chips in water. Drain before adding to hot coals in the smoker. Don’t remove lid for the first hour of smoking process.

Catfish Tacos

• 1 pound catfish fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper
• 4 – 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Place fish on a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet. Mix garlic and lime juice and drizzle mixture over fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let stand 15 minutes. Broil fish (or grill) in oven center, 6 to 8 minutes. While fish is cooking warm tortillas directly on a burner over lowest heat, turning once to heat through. This takes only about 20 seconds or less on each side. Keep warm in a basket lined with a napkin.

To assemble tacos cut catfish into bite-size pieces.  Top each tortilla with lettuce, then fish, avocado and cheese. Serve with salsa. Makes 4-6 tacos.