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Dungeness Crab Alfredo Fettuccine Recipe: Rich and Creamy!!!
“Sweet, delicious Dungeness crab is always a treat.” ~ Tom Douglas
My first meal after a day out crabbing is always surf and turf. I immediately head to the supermarket and collect the finest rib eye or New York strip steaks I can find, risotto, crusty bread, a few pounds of butter, and a fine bottle of white wine. It is a grand affair. And I stayed true to form after the first day of crabbing on my San Juan Islands trip
On the second night of our trip, we still had a handful of crabs to prepare, and while surf and turf is great it is also extremely expensive. One can only afford steak so many times before their wallet is full of nothing more than moths. I started thinking about how sweet the Dungeness crab meat is and what would pair well with its flavor and texture. Pasta always comes to my mind when I think about food. I love pasta. Alfredo was also running around in there as well. So, I decided to prepare a Dungeness crab alfredo dinner, and my diners were not disappointed!
Making a thick, creamy, rich Alfredo sauce is not an easy task. Many times, right as you think the sauce is looking beautiful and you are ready to pour it all over your noodles, it will break. The butter and cream will separate and you end up with a greasy, gritty ball of something that looks remotely like a cheesy sauce. I hate when that happens!
Since we were on vacation, and I was away from my stove, I felt that making an alfredo sauce was going to be very difficult. Alfredo sauce is very sensitive to the temperatures you cook it at, and being on a strange stove can make holding the right temperature very difficult. I was nervous, but really wanted alfredo! I was searching the internet for sauce ideas, and when I came across this recipe using cream cheese as a base for the sauce I knew it would be a great alternative to a traditional sauce.
Before starting anything else, prepare the crab meat. If your crabs are still alive, they need to be boiled for 15 minutes in a pot of hot water. I have tips for cleaning the crabs up before meat removal at this link: Cleaning Up Those Dungies! If the crab has already been boiled and is frozen, you can warm it up in the microwave or oven. I personally prefer the microwave. The legs need to be cracked and meat pulled out and don’t forget the meat at the base of the legs where they attach to the body.
For the sauce, in a medium-sized pot melt a stick of butter over medium heat. Add shallots and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. When the butter is melted and the shallots have sweated, add the entire 8oz of cream cheese and start whisking. At first, the cream cheese will break into chunks, and it is SCARY! You will start questioning if this is going to work and want to abandon the pot and start over. Keep stirring! Just keep stirring! And stirring. The cream cheese will continue to melt and start to smooth out, I promise. But you have to keep stirring! And not freak out!
Once the cream cheese is smooth and creamy, slowly add the milk. I said slowly! Keep whisking as you pour the half and half to maintain that creamy texture. The beautiful thing about this recipe is you can substitute the dairy for whatever you have on hand: cream, 1% or 2% milk, or whole milk. If you are using milk, I would suggest the whole milk because it is just adds to the creaminess of the sauce, but when in a pinch anything will work fine.
After incorporating the milk, add the parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Mix until the sauce reaches your desired thickness and then remove it from the heat. If you find that it is getting too thick, add more milk until it thins out.
Like I said in the beginning, this sauce is easy to pull together and tastes amazing. There are two keys to making this sauce a success. First, add everything in the order listed. The order is important for creating a creamy, well developed sauce. Second, just keep stirring!
For the noodles, there is a lot of flexibility. The long, ribbon-like fettuccine noodles are probably the most traditional accompaniment for cream sauces such as alfredo. Other great alternatives would be the classic spaghetti noodles, the thicker linguine noodle, or an angel hair pasta. Cook the noodles to al dente, where they have just a bit of bite left. You know, that moment between chewy and mushy.
Once the sauce and noodles are ready, put the crab, noodles, and sauce into a large bowl and toss, coating everything. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top, and serve with a crisp glass of chardonnay.
This meal is delicious. The sweet meat of the Dungeness crab is aptly complemented by the tangy cream cheese in the alfredo sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
Dungeness Crab Alfredo Fettuccine Recipe: Rich and Creamy!!!
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Cleaning Up Those Dungies! – A Step by Step Guide to Cleaning Dungeness Crab
“I would be the simple fisherman in Perseus village. He lives a quiet life, brings in crab pots and is extremely happy.” ~Sam Worthington
One of the more difficult parts to learn when taking up hunting and fishing is how to clean the animals. For many families, hunting and fishing are family traditions, and parents and grandparents teach the skills and techniques for hunting to the younger generations. Being a novice hunter and not having a background full of hunting and fishing trips to pull experience from can make tasks such as cleaning a deer seem very daunting.
The nice thing about cleaning and prepping your game though, is it is something that can be learned and with practice become second nature. I have assisted with cleaning an elk, and to be honest, it was hard! The animal is so heavy and cumbersome, and the hide dulls your knife quite quickly, so you are constantly sharpening the blade. And it makes a GIANT mess and takes hours to do! That was just to field dress the animal. Once we arrived home and let the animal hang for a couple weeks, we had even more work to do! Like I said, it is hard work!
Cleaning crab is easy! I actually think it was a very good experience for me in learning to clean an animal properly. After assisting with two or three crabs, I was able to complete the rest as though it were “second nature.”. It does make quite a mess, but the clean up isn’t too bad. The only down side, I would say, is it kind of smells like crab in your kitchen for a good couple hours, which coming from the desert was an odd smell to have stick around, but it wasn’t too bad.
There are actually two ways you can clean the crab: 1)cook the crab whole and then clean, or 2) clean the crab first and then cook. I prefer the first method because it is much less messy. You can do either way you prefer though. So, first you need a large stock pot full of water, and bring it to a boil. Once the water is rolling good, drop the entire crab in and cover with a lid. Depending on the size of your pot, you can boil more than one crab at a time. I was able to do four in my pot. Set the timer for 15 minutes if the crabs are between a pound and half to two and half pounds and for 20 minutes if they are more around the three pound mark, and you can tell they are finished because their shells will be a vibrant red color. Run cool water over the cooked crabs and allow them to sit in the sink a bit, they are VERY hot to handle when they come out of the water.
So, once you can handle those babies, it is time to start cleaning dungies! To start, flip the crab over on the back and look for the abdominal flap. It is located on the center of the crab’s bottom side and starts near the rear of the crab and runs towards the eyes. It is the same flap used to identify the gender of the crab. Grab the tip of the abdominal flap and pull it towards you. Remove the entire flap.
Once you have removed the abdominal flap, flip the crab over and grab at the back end of the crab along the top shell where you just removed the abdominal flap. Pull the entire top of the crab shell off. It should come off in one large piece, leaving behind the legs and internal parts of the crab.
With some crabs, such as the Blue Crab that is served in Maryland and along the Chesapeak Bay, the crab is served whole and people break open the shell of the crab tableside and enjoy the internal parts of the crab. Don’t knock it until you try it! It is definitely dinner and a show at Maryland crab house restaurants. The tables are usually covered with white paper, which after you see the mess you will make you understand the need for disposable tablecloths, and the waiter brings you a large cafeteria tray piled high with boiled crabs dressed in Old Bay Seasoning. You are given a miniature wooden mallet, crab crackers, and plenty of napkins. At this point, you just go at it busting crabs and hunting for meat. It is crazy fun and delicious. Unfortunately, Dungeness crab are not quite as much fun to eat.
I don’t know of anyone that eats the internal parts of the Dungeness, but I guess it might happen. For our purposes though, I am going to clean the internal parts of the crab out before storing or eating my crab. So, with your thumbs and under running water, push out anything that is green, black, slimy, gooey, yucky, or gill looking. The idea is to end up with the crab looking clean. Now, there is meat in the “knuckles” of the crab, which are located where the legs attach to the body of the crab. That meat is good, so don’t throw it out.
Okay, so once everything looks pretty and nice, break the legs into two pieces right down the center. Viola! You now have two beautiful crab legs ready for eating or storing. These legs would look delicious served next to a juicy ribeye steak or New York strip. Or if you are looking to store them, two crabs, or four legs, fit into a gallon-size freezer bag and they will hold in the freezer for about a month. I have read you can keep them for up to six months, but I personally think the flavor and texture of the crab really starts to change after about a month. The legs tend to get kind of mushy and the smell of crab becomes a bit overwhelming.
That is all I have! So, start boiling up your Dungeness crab and get to eatin!
If anyone wants know more or needs advice on their first Washington crabbing experience feel free to email me at 12gaugegirl@huntingandcooking.com.
Happy Hunting!
Crabbing in the San Juan Islands
“You cannot teach a crab to walk straight.” ~ Aristophanes
I am not a morning person. I struggle with getting out of bed. I can recall a story from the past (okay, it was just last spring) where I may or may not have elected to stay in bed during the turkey hunt, and everyone returned about an hour later with toms slung over their shoulders. I did get to sleep in though. Totally worth it, right?
Okay, okay, not worth it. I am working on the getting up early thing, because we all know that animals tend to be more active in the early morning and late afternoon to evening. I know that when I pull myself out of my warm sleeping cocoon, rub the sleep angrily out of my eyes, pour a cup of warm, steamy coffee and complain to everyone around that getting up early is the worst idea ever, I ALWAYS have a much more productive day. I may not end the day with filling my tag, but I always have more bites on my fishing line, see more game, and have a plethora of stories to share upon my return to camp.
That being said, I still hate getting up early. And if you are like me and hate getting up early, then you will adore crabbing. Crabbing does not require getting up early! There is no advantage to throwing your covers off at the first peek of morning sunlight and racing off to pull your crab pot. It is an activity designed for ANY time of the day. I love it!
Throughout the world, there are over 850 different species of crabs. Crabs can be found in saltwater, freshwater, and on land. There are many different species that are edible, and this website is a great resource for discovering crabs that you maybe haven’t tried out yet: abcsofanimalworld.blogspot.com. I am a huge fan of crab! I think it is delicious, and have tried Alaskan King Crab, both red and blue, Alaskan Snow Crab, Blue Crab, Red Rock Crab, and Dungeness Crab. However, I have only fished for Dungeness and Red Rock Crab.
Like any recreational fishing, there are regulations for specifics states and even areas within the states. Be sure to check out the regulations before heading out. In the San Juan Islands, which are located in Washington State, you are required to purchase a shellfishing license. I purchased a three day shellfish/seaweed and fishing license combination, since I was also going to be salmon fishing during the trip. There are several licensing options and they can be found at: fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.
With your license, you will also receive a reporting card. Each time you catch and keep a crab, you are required to immediately document the catch on your reporting card. The reporting card must be turned in, either via mail or internet, to the Division of Wildlife and failure to do so will result in a $10 penalty added to your next license purchase in Washington. It’s not hard, but it is good to take note so you don’t lose out on ten bucks. Plus, the information you provide on the reporting card is used for assisting in maintaining sustainable crab harvest numbers.
The San Juan Islands are located in Marine Area 7, which also includes the waters near Bellingham, Washington. Each coastal area in Washington has a designated Marine Area, and the fishing and shellfishing regulations are unique to each area. For example, the shellfishing season in Marine Area 7 is open during different dates than Marine Area 13, the South Puget Sound area. There are also different regulations on the size and types of crabs you can keep, so it is important to know which area you are going to be shellfishing in, and the boundaries and regulations for that area.
In Marine Area 7, you can fish for both Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs with the method of your choice. I used a crab pot. The crab pot, which is a wire pot coated in black vinyl, has a bait bag attached to the center of the pot and then one-way entrances for the crabs. Other needed items include rope, which is to be constructed of 100% cotton or other natural material, a crab measuring ruler, and a red and white buoy marker with your name and address visibly labeled on the buoy. You also want to bring something to store your crabs in during transportation. Holding a crab while you are boating back to camp or your hotel might not be the easiest task. Crab pot regulations for Washington State can be found here: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/harvest.html.
Okay, so all the nitty-gritty details are out the way. The license has been purchased for the correct marine area, and you have a crab pot full of all the necessary goodies for catching crabs! Now what? Bait! For bait, I used chicken legs. I also let it sit in the sun for a day so it would be nice and juicy and stinky and rotten. Yum. Crabs are omnivores, feasting on both plants and animals, but they tend to prefer animals, so basically any type of meat could be used. I have seen people use hot dogs, but I don’t particularly like hot dogs because the crabs can easily rip up and destroy the hot dogs. Chicken works a little better because it is harder for the crabs to remove the meat from the bones. Another bait option is fish. I have tried using the heads and bodies of fish on two different occasions, and for me personally, it didn’t go well. The pot returned completely crabless both times. It might just be me, but that is the experience I have had. So, I stick to chicken.
Anyway, with the bait in tow, I headed out to drop my pot. There are areas in the San Juan Islands closed to shellfishing, so be sure to check a map for those regions, but otherwise look for an area that is protected from the currents, so your pot doesn’t just end up being drug around for a couple of hours, and is not out where it will be run over by speeding boats. You also need to take into consideration the length of your rope. The pot should sit on the bottom of the ocean and there should be slack in the rope, which means to remember there is tide change! If you have 50 feet of rope and drop the pot at 48 feet during low tide, your pot will end up floating in a couple of hours as the tide rises, which means no crabs. And it is a sad feeling when you pull up an empty pot.
Since I don’t live in the area, I dropped my pot in an area where a couple other people were also crabbing. I also was on my boat, which meant I could leave my pot in the middle of a small, protected bay. If you don’t have a boat, people also fish off docks and other rocky areas.
Since I was also salmon fishing, I would check my pot in the morning after fishing, and then again before sunset. With the Red Rocks crabs, you can keep either males or females and the crab must be larger than five inches, which you check this with your lovely crab measuring stick. For Dungeness, the crabs must be male and larger than 6.25″. Distinguishing if the crab is male or female is simple. You grab the crab out of the pot (move quick, they pinch!), and flip it over. On the crab’s underside is an abdominal flap. It is a well-defined flap running from the rear end of the crab towards the head. The female crabs have a wider and more rounded flap than the males. The males are long and narrower.
Before you place the crab in your cooler for dinner tonight, there is one other test you need to perform. The crab needs to be checked for softness. Crabs are from the arthropod family, which to make a long story short means they shed their exoskeleton at least yearly, sometimes more often depending on their age. This process is known as molting, and during molting the crab’s shell becomes very soft and pliable in preparation for shedding and replacement by the new shell. All crabs that are molting must be released, and this is determined through a softness check. You will notice that once you flip the crab over to check its sex, they tend to fold their legs in and the claws rest against their shell next to their eyes. To check for softness, gently push the folded claw towards the crab’s eye area. The exposed shell area is where you apply slight pressure to check for softness. If the area bends or flexes, the crab is molting and should be returned.
I usually checked my pots right before I was returning to land, so I could immediately cook, clean, and store the crab. I didn’t want to drive around in the boat all day with a cooler full of crabs, but there are a few tips for transporting the crab so they stay alive, especially if you are in a situation where you can’t deal with them for a few hours. I filled an ice chest with ice, placed the crabs in the ice and laid a towel soaked in salt water over them, and then placed more ice over the towel. This keeps the crab cool and alive.
Well, after all this talk about crabs, I am craving some crab legs. Maybe a little surf and turf!
Happy Hunting! (And Crabbing!)
A Desert Girl Heads to the Pacific Northwest!
“Someone asked me, if I were stranded on a desert island what book would I bring…’How to Build a Boat.'” ~ Steven Wright
Finally, at long last, vacation has arrived! I am so excited to be heading to the San Juan Islands for eight days of fishing, crabbing, whale watching, and strolling the streets of the Washington State islands. Two years ago, my family ventured to Orcas Island and spent a week exploring the waters. This time, we have decided to station in the popular Friday Harbor, located on San Juan Island.
Visiting the San Juan Islands is an adventure, but it does help to do a bit of pre-planning. First, decide what you are interested in doing on your trip. We are focused on fishing and crabbing, and the whale watching is a bonus. We also do a bit of island hopping and exploring. Since we want to spend as much time on the water as possible, we bring our own boat. Our boat is not a special “sea-worthy” vessel. Instead, it is a small sporty Sea Ray 180 lake boat. We use our boat primarily at Lake Powell. I would not trust this boat on the open ocean; however, the San Juan islands are different. While they are considered the ocean, they are very protected from the elements common to the sea and most of the time you feel like you are riding in a very large lake and tend to forget you are actually in salt water. If you have a boat, I would highly recommend you consider pulling it along for the trip. If not, there are charters and boat rentals available so you can get your fishing fix in.
Anyway, if you are planning a trip to the islands, you first need to decide which island you would like to establish as your homestead. There are several options available, but the Washington State Ferry System provides service to the following four islands: Lopez, Orcas, Shaw, and San Juan Islands. The main ferry terminal is located in Anacortes, Washington, and there is also a Canadian based terminal in Sydney, British Columbia. Lodging is widely available, and there are many options ranging from small studios to large cabins that can sleep up to 24 or more. I find the following websites to be especially useful for booking lodging on the different islands: visitsanjauns.com, vrbo.com, tripadvisor, and flipkey. For our trip this time, we stayed with the Nichols Street Suites, and I have to say, it was an amazing little place. The suite is located above a small antique shop, Funk and Junk, in an old board and battin sided building. The place is quaint and funky with original artwork and a huge wrap around couch in a large bay window. It is also located a block from the main downtown streets, with convenient access to the marina, a grocery store, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping. It is a great little place to stay.
Once you have booked your place to stay, it is time to reserve your spot on the Washington State Ferry System. When I came two years ago, all you had to do to get a spot on the ferry was show up. However, the islands have become so popular, that the system has been revamped and now requires a reservation prior to setting sail. The ferry ride to the islands is a treat in and of itself. The time spent on the ferry varies depending on which island you are visiting, but generally you can expect to spend an hour on board. The ferries are enormous and provide a unique opportunity to view the landscape and wildlife in the island chain. Prices also vary depending on your final destination and all the information for booking a ride can be found at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. I will heed a small warning, and this is not meant to be discouraging but I think you should be aware before you head out, riding the ferry systems is not cheap. Bringing a full-size truck and boat can cost you well over $200 for the round-trip.
Once on the islands, there is a wide-variety of food, entertainment, expeditions, and even wildlife. We went for a couple hour drive our first evening on San Juan Island and visited Lime Kiln Point State Park and San Juan Island National Historic Park.. I have to say, I was amazed by the amount of wildlife we encountered on what I would consider to be a very populated and isolated place. At Lime Kiln, we saw a pod of killer whales. And in the National Park, we met up with a family of raccoons, Columbia black tail deer, a bald eagle, and a grey fox. The islands are also home to gray, minke, and humpback whales, seals, porpoises, sea lions, and otters. I am hoping to bump into a few more of the animals as we continue to explore the island network. Also, a must have for bringing to the San Juan Islands is a pair of binoculars. If you remember nothing else, at least remember the binoculars!
Well, that is just a little update on what I am doing for the next couple of days. Stay tuned, as I will be posting some more blogs on how to salmon fish the islands, which I am working on as we speak, and how to go crabbing, which is sooooo easy and fun! Also, I am going to be making some amazing meals with all this fresh fish and shellfish that I am planning on catching, so watch for those recipes too!
Happy Hunting!
Grilled Orange and Herb Trout!
“In the hands of an able cook, fish can become an inexhaustible source of perpetual delight.” ~ Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
Trout has never been my favorite food. Growing up, when people said something was “fishy” and they didn’t like it, my mind immediately would picture trout. I have tried trout in restaurants a few times, and usually the end results are my sides are gone but three-quarters of the fish is still on the plate. I feel like a stubborn toddler who refuses to eat, and everyone around me keeps pressing for me to “try your fish.”
I thoroughly enjoy trout fishing, whether it be for rainbows, cutthroats, or browns. Trout fishing is an activity that can be enjoyed by any age group, can be done from the shore or a boat, requires patience, and also tests your critical thinking abilities. With trout fishing, there doesn’t seem to be a one-size fits all solution for catching fish. Sometimes lures work, sometimes worms, other times the fish are craving cheese. Every time is different. A day spent trout fishing is a good day.
So, as much as I loved trout fishing, I didn’t really enjoy eating trout all that much. I knew a lot of people who said they loved trout, so I figured there had to be something that I was doing wrong. As I started fishing more and experimenting with fish recipes, I realized I don’t dislike trout. I dislike farm-raised, probably been frozen for a few months trout. Trout prepared at home is amazing!
The last few months, I have tried simple, but delicious, fish recipes and I have made over-the-top recipes combining ingredients that I never thought would be a good match for trout. This recipe is definitely a simple and quick recipe. I made it at home this time, but I think it is one that would be amazing over the fire pit after a long day of catching fish at the lake. While I call this a simple and quick recipe, the flavors are rich and very developed. Even with only a handful of ingredients, I think the taste is very complex and each bite highlights a different aspect of the fish.
I used filets with the skin on for this recipe, but you could also leave the fish whole and stuff the cavity of with ingredients. If I were preparing this while camping, I would definitely do it that way since it would require much less preparation, which isn’t always easy to do when outside. But since I was at home, I used the filets so I didn’t have to pick around bones. These particular fish were cutbows we caught lake fishing in Colorado, and the meat was red, almost like salmon, and very substantial. I used to think people were weird when they would talk about how beautiful cuts of meat were, but these filets can only be described as beautiful!
This recipe requires very few ingredients, but it does have a couple of extra “tools” needed. First, you will need a grill basket. I actually went out and bought a grill basket just for this recipe, but I am really excited to own it now. I can’t wait to try it out over the fire the next time I am camping. It also is handy for the grill at home. It could be used for not just fish, but anything you layer together that needs a little extra support while on the grill. Second, you will need to grab a roll of kitchen twine to help tie the filets together.
So, let’s talk ingredients. I used oranges, dill, tarragon, and parsley for my fish, but this is the type of recipe you can afford to be flexible with. Experimenting with different flavors will result in meals that taste entirely different and new, but are still just as simple and quick as the original idea. I really love recipes like that. I don’t have to learn a whole bunch of different techniques to have unique flavors on my plate. You could easily replace the oranges with tangerines, lemons, or maybe even grapefruit (I haven’t tried that, but it sounds delicious to me!). I would even dare to try a lime! The herbs could also be switched out for rosemary, thyme, oregano, or whatever else your mind can come up with!
I decided to use tarragon this time around for two reasons: it is a great accompaniment for oranges and it is, by far, my favorite herb. I love the licorice flavor, which is weird because I despise licorice the candy. Anyway, besides the tarragon, I also added dill, which is always great with fish, and parsley, which adds a fresh taste I think.
Before layering the stuffing ingredients, I cleaned all the bones out of the filets. Even though the majority of the bones were removed when the fish was fileted, there are still some that run along the middle of the filet for about half the length of each filet. You can easily feel them with your fingers and pull them out with pliers. Removing them makes for a much more enjoyable eating experience, as no one likes fishing bones out of their mouth. (No pun intended!) I also rinsed each filet.
Once the fish were clean, I salted and peppered each filet. You could also add more flavors at this step if you were interested, such as a sprinkle of garlic or onion salt. I wanted to keep things simple this time, so I just stuck with salt and pepper. Next, lay down a layer of thinly sliced oranges that run the length of the filet. The herbs are added next, and part of what makes this recipe so quick is the herbs do not needed cut or minced or anything other than just placed atop the orange slices. I used about two sprigs of each type of herb. The only thing left to do is tie the filets together in a fish sandwich and place them in the grill basket.
The grill should be pre-heated to medium high. To help prevent the fish from sticking, a little vegetable oil can be rubbed on the grate. I also rubbed the inside of the grill basket with a little oil before enclosing the fish. Once the grill is up to temperature, place the basket directly on the heat and close the lid. Set a timer for seven minutes. After seven minutes, flip the basket, close the lid, and let it cook for another seven minutes.
I could actually smell the dill and tarragon mixed with the oranges before I pulled the fish off the grill. It was heavenly! To serve, cut the kitchen twine and remove the herbs and orange slices. The filets will be flakey, fragrant, tender, and full of flavor. I served with extra orange slices for squeezing over the fish and a simple side salad. Now that is one delicious meal!
Happy Fishing!
Grilled Orange and Herb Trout!
Ingredients
- 8 trout filets
- 2 oranges
- 8 springs tarragon
- 8 springs dill
- 8 springs parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- After cleaning trout filets, salt and pepper to taste
- Thinly slice oranges and place in single layer on one fish filet
- Top orange slices with sprigs of parsley, tarragon, and dill
- Top with second fish filet and tie with kitchen twine
- Place filets in grill basket and set on pre-heated medium high grill
- Close grill lid and allow fish to cook for seven minutes
- Flip basket and let fish cook additional seven minutes
- Serve with extra slices of orange and enjoy!
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Adventure Six: Trout Fishing in the High Country
Soon after I embraced the sport of angling I became convinced that I should never be able to enjoy it if I had to rely on the cooperation of the fish.” ~ Sparse Grey Hackle
I remember a lot about fishing with my dad when I was little. I remember watching his big, calloused hands tie delicate knots to small copper colored hooks. I would try and sit patiently while he threaded an uncooperative worm onto the hook and then clasped a small red and white bobber to the line. He would swing the long line behind his back and then swiftly cast the entire awkward collection out onto the water. It would plop as everything hit the water. I remember his dirty and worn tackle box, stuffed with lures, hooks, line, and powerbait.
As a kid, I think powerbait almost defines fishing. Its smell is unique and easily discerned, and stays on your hands and everything you touch long after you have attempted to wash it away multiple times. The small yellow jars with the screw top lids contain brilliant colors of pink, orange, green, and sometimes blends of two colors sprinkled with glitter. And it lasts forever! I sometimes think that the jars in my dad’s tackle box now are the same ones from those trips so many years ago.
So, when I started fishing more seriously as an adult, I always shied away from using powerbait. Powerbait said “kid fishing” all over it. I tended to think of powerbait as my dad’s way of buying time to fish for himself when my sister and I were along for the trip. I don’t recall having many bites with powerbait, and if I did manage to pull a fish in it always seemed small. I quickly decided that if my dad was ready to help me catch a fish he added a worm to the end of my pole. If he needed me to be patient while he fished for a while he added powerbait. Powerbait had a bad rap with me, but that has since changed.
This past Fourth of July weekend, my family ventured to the high country for lake fishing. I haven’t been very successful the last few fishing trips I have been on. The days have been slow and the fish few and far between. A couple of weekends ago, I even went to a lake known for its abundance of stockers and threw in a worm. I actually went home not only empty handed but completely biteless. It was a long day. I didn’t have much expectation for this trip either.
Upon our arrival to the lake, I heard many stories from other campers that the fishing was hot. The weather, however, was not as positive as the fishing appeared to be. The mornings opened with strong, blue, cloudless skies, but the afternoons quickly developed into dark storms filled with heavy rains and lightning. The afternoon fishing for the first day was quiet and slow. After spending a few hours trolling just off the shores of the lake, we docked the boat as large clouds rolled over the mountain tops and settled above our camp. The storm lasted a few hours and was intense.
My sister insisted we head out immediately following the storm’s departure. It was cold and still quite gloomy, but she kept talking about the great fishing she knew that was waiting in the calm after the storm. We had our doubts, but followed her to the boat.
My dad, having missed the afternoon fishing session, opened his tackle box and prepared his line. He pulled out that familiar yellow jar, two hooks, and a small weight.
“Dad, serious fishing here!” I said, pointing to the powerbait with disapproval.
He had spoken to some of the other camps and they said powerbait was the secret to the lake. They instructed him to set-up two hooks below his weight: one with a worm, and the other with a ball of powerbait. Hesitation definitely set in for me. It was, after all, powerbait.
Despite my inner critic to the situation, I followed suit and set my pole up the same way. I assumed the powerbait from his tackle box was the same jar from my childhood. However, within the hour, I had two beautiful rainbow trout and a cut-bow on the stringer. The rest of the stringer was filled with equally large, beautiful fish from the rest of the boat. Some bites were on the worm and some were on the powerbait. I don’t know if it was my sister’s insistence on the calm after the storm, the combination of the worm and powerbait on one line, or just a joke on me that powerbait is the ultimate trout lure, but that was some of the best trout fishing I have ever experienced.
And, after that weekend, I actually have to buy more powerbait to keep in my tackle box. You know, just in case I need it.
Another Shed Hunting Adventure
“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.” ~ Joseph Campbell
One thing I have learned over the past year is hunting can very quickly evolve from a leisure activity to work. It starts with receiving a tag. There is this adrenaline rush similar to receiving an unexpected gift, wondering what is inside the box, and then opening it. That moment is just like drawing a much desired, and anticipated, tag. It is a great moment. The kind of moment people search for and thrive on that feeling. But then, the moment passes and the adrenaline rush fades away. The mind switches from excited to planning and work mode.
I think this happens because of the human tendency to work towards goals. A goal is set, in this case ending with the best animal possible, and a plan must be formed to reach this goal in the most effective and efficient manner. Many people will spend weeks scouting, target practicing, researching animal habits, testing and purchasing gear ranging from boots, scopes, and guns to scents, calls, and facial paints. Don’t get me wrong, this is all part of the journey and these pieces that create the whole for reaching a goal can be the best part. But it can become all-consuming and exhausting even.
This weekend, I went out shed hunting. I think of shed hunting as a more “fun” form of scouting. I like to pick a place where I have found myself questioning: “Do you think there are deer there?” I figure the best way to answer this question is to go looking for signs, which include tracks, shed antlers, and, well put bluntly, poop. While out wandering, it is amazing how desolate an area can feel when first starting out. There will be little life other than plants, little movement other than crows or ravens passing by, and little visible sustainability. I often wonder how animals can inhabit areas where there is no evidence of being able to survive. However, as I continue on I start to see the small details that allow life to flourish: the dew drops sitting on leaves, small potholes full of water and creatures, tiny bugs crawling, hidden shaded areas for resting and protection. An area appearing to contain sage brush and a few birds suddenly becomes a very busy animal and plant metropolis.
Typically, shed hunting is part of the planning process for filling a tag. This weekend, I started out with that in mind. I planned to research an area for it’s potential in filling my tag. I had a pre-determined area and a route I wanted to follow. In secret, I was dreading the idea of shed hunting, because it sounded so much like work. But as is often times necessary with work, I pushed aside my desires to sit around and be lazy, grabbed my bag and camera, and headed out.
It was an erratic weather day. When I first arrived, the sun was out and the sky was blue and cloudless. However, within an hour of walking, a large thunder cloud had developed over a mountain range to my south. The wind picked up ever so slightly, and the dark gray mass rolled quickly towards me. I could see streaks of rain spreading across the very open landscape and thunder echoed from the mountain range to my south, above my head, and onward to the mountain range to my north. Just as I was about to give up and turn back to the truck, the storm turned west and skirted around me. This strange pattern lasted for the entirety of the day.
I don’t know if it was the weather that first distracted me or the blooming pink flower settled upon a cactus, but my shed hunting trip evolved from a “work” trip to something much more. I started out actively scanning for sheds and other signs indicating animals were utilizing the area; however, I found myself stopping more and more often to look at the cactus and other desert foliage, listen to the thunder rolling across the flat, sagebrush covered ground, and feel the light breeze run across my body. I found myself actually relaxing.
Often times, when I out actually hunting, I tend to feel a bit stressed. I am focusing on a handful of details all at one time: not crunching dried leaves while I walk, keeping myself in a position where the wind pulls my scent away from the direction of an animal, reminding myself of where I want in aim in different situations, trying to make the right sound come out of my call, balancing my gun in a comfortable but convenient position, rebalancing my gun because the strap is now cutting into my neck, listening for sounds, telling my stomach to quit growling because it is being too loud, repositioning my gun yet again because not it is cutting into my shoulder.
All of these details are very important, and in their own way they are part of what makes hunting so great. But sometimes it is nice to forgot all those details, to drop the plan, to not do your research, and to enjoy shed hunting for one of the main reasons that anyone hunts: to just be outside and enjoy all the little things that are so amazing out there. I would never have seen most of the things I consider precious experiences in my life if I hadn’t taken the time to just go outside and walk around. That is the main reason I decided to take up hunting, so I would get to see what the outdoors is really all about. I was reminded of that this past weekend, and it was one amazing hunt.
Quick Fix BBQ: Elk Burgers!
“My favorite moments? Where it’s all going swimmingly, the sun’s out and I’ve got a fire going and a nice snake on the barbecue.” ~Bear Grylls
Some afternoons are made for barbecuing, especially warm spring afternoons. I woke up this morning, and it was beautiful outside. It had been raining for a couple of days and things had been almost gloomy. Gloomy is an odd term for the desert. Usually, the spring in southeastern Utah is warm and on the brink of hot. There are wildflowers blooming everywhere, so the desert is full of vibrant spots of yellow, orange, purple, and red. The sky is filled with white puffy clouds floating in a sea of blue. This time is short-lived in the desert. Our climate tends to shift from winter cold to summer heat in a very short time, so the short spring season is something to be savored. This spring has been different. It has rained and been dark and almost cold out. Rain in the desert is always welcome, and it is even a nice break. But it has gone on for a couple days now, which isn’t something that happens here very often. So, when I awoke this morning to a cloudless sky and a bright sun, I was in a very serene and comfortable mood. By the time the afternoon rolled around, my comfortable mood was needing to be accompanied by a barbecue. It was just one of those days!
So, my traditional barbecues are hamburgers and hotdogs. Sometimes I will get wild and crazy and throw a bratwurst in there, but it has to be a pretty crazy day! Well, since starting this blog, every meal has changed at our house. I am constantly thinking about how to substitute wild game in for beef. Hamburgers are a no-brainer! Elk or deer are the perfect substitute. For myself after testing out this recipe, I will now take an elk burger on my plate over a beef burger any day of the week. Trust me, this is one TASTY burger.
Extra equipment is needed for making burger. The best option is a meat grinder. Meat grinders come in a huge variety of prices and sizes. You can spend a ton without even really trying, but there are cheaper options out there. Selecting the right grinder depends on how much meat processing you want to do. At this point in time, I do a medium amount of processing. I am a huge fan of grinding my own burger meat, and I also have been experimenting with sausages. I probably pull out the grinder once every other week. So, it gets a fair amount of use. That being said, I did not spend a ton on my processor, and it meets all of my needs. I have the Cabela’s Pro Series Grinder and paid less than $200 for it. I have had the grinder for over a year, and it has been great.
If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can still make hamburger meat. I have used a food processor before when grinding up meat. The texture is a bit different with the food processor, as it doesn’t chop the meat as finely, but it will work. It is definitely a great option when doing meats that are less tough than elk, such as turkey or fish. While you can get the job done with the food processor, I would highly recommend investing in a meat grinder if you are thinking about processing your own hamburger for more than just this meal.
Okay, enough with the processing talk. On to the good stuff: the burger!
Since elk is a very lean meat, you have to add some fat into your meat mixture. You could just buy some pork fat and throw that in when you grind the elk up, and it will still taste good. However, if you are searching for a GREAT burger instead of just a good one, try using bacon ends and pieces. Bacon ends and pieces will add the fat needed for creating great burger, but it will also incorporate bacon flavor in to your meat. It is a two-for-one!
For making my burger, I do a two to one ratio of elk meat to bacon ends and pieces. Since burger isn’t known for being “tender,” you can pull out a tougher piece of meat that you have set aside, and save your tender pieces, like backstrap, for steak meals. I used a piece off the hind quarter for this barbecue. This piece was about a pound and a half, and I added a half pound of the bacon ends. Run the elk meat and the bacon ends through the meat grinder, and give everything a mix with your hands to thoroughly incorporate. I got about eight extra-generous sized patties out of this.
Before making your patties, season the meat. You can go simple with just salt and pepper, or you can add some Montreal Steak Seasoning. I always add steak or fajita seasoning to my burgers. With the Montreal, I use about a tablespoon per pound of burger. So, for this recipe I added two tablespoons. Get your hands down in there and really work the seasoning into the meat. When forming your patties, a little trick for even cooking is to make the center of the patty thinner than the edges. I usually form a ball of meat, about the size of a baseball, and then slowly work the ball into a disk. Once I have my disk roughly formed, I use my thumbs to thin out the center of the patty and move the meat to the edges. You don’t have to make it super thin, just a divot will allow for the center to cook and turn out similar to the edges.
Another fancy little burger trick is to add a slab of butter to the center of your burger. After the patties are formed, slice a thin slab of butter and tuck it into the center of the burger. I thought this sounded odd when I first heard it, but it really adds a lot of moisture to the burger. And there is nothing wrong with a juicy burger!
Alright, so the patties are ready for the grill.
So, you could use just plain old buns, if you are so inclined. However, if you are looking for a twist on your already adventurous elk burger, you might try a portabella bun. This was my first time trying the mushroom bun, and I thought it was really different and delicious. The portabella had a very similar texture to a bun, but it added mushroom flavor to the burger. I am not a huge mushroom fan, but I do like portabellas. The only down side to the mushroom bun is it did not help sop up my very juicy burger. My hands were a pretty big mess by the end of this meal.
For the portabella buns, buy the big portabellas. Before you cook the mushrooms, you want to clean them. I cut the stems off and then use a damp rag or paper towel to just wipe the mushrooms off. I coated mine in a little olive oil and sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper over the top. Once the grill is hot, throw the mushrooms on and let them cook for a few minutes on each side. I put mine on before the burgers so they would have time to cool down. I didn’t want to grab a hot mushroom for my bun.
Grilling elk burgers is the same as hamburgers. Drop the patties on the hot part of the grill, and then let them sit! Do not push them around or press them, that only will tear your meat and make you lose all that juicy flavor. The first side should take between five and six minutes. You can tell the burger is ready to flip when the top starts to gather a little pool of juice. The second side should take a minute or so less than the first, so entire cook time should end up somewhere between nine and eleven minutes.
I topped my burger with blue cheese, pickled jalapenos, lettuce and tomatoes. A touch of mustard and ketchup are always welcome as well. For a side, I cooked up sweet potato stackers! They are a very simple side and a nice change from potato chips or fries. For the stackers, thinly slice a sweet potato. I usually do one person. Coat the slices in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. Stack the potatoes in muffin tins. You will usually need at least five slices to fill the cup. Top with a little parmesan cheese and place in a 400 degree oven. I set my timer for 30 minutes and then check how things are going. They usually wind up taking about 40 minutes. Well, get out there and barbecue! And Happy Hunting!
Quick Fix BBQ: Elk Burgers!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 pounds elk meat (tougher cut)
- 1/2 pound bacon ends and pieces
- 2 Tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Portabella mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Blue cheese
- Sliced tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Pickled jalapenos
- Mustard
- Ketchup
Instructions
- Run elk meat and bacon ends and pieces through meat grinder. Mix with hands to make sure everything is thoroughly incorporated. Add Montreal Steak Seasoning or salt and pepper to meat. Thoroughly incorporate.
- Form meat into patties and add thin slab of butter inside center of each burger.
- Preheat barbecue grill.
- Remove stems and use a damp rag to wipe off portabella mushrooms. Coat in olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place mushroom tops on grill and cook each side for five minutes. Remove and let rest.
- Place elk patties on grill. Cook first side for five to six minutes. Flip and continue cooking second side for four to five minutes. Remove and let rest.
- Create your burger! Using the giant mushrooms as buns, top burger with blue cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, mustard, and ketchup.
- Eat up!
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Quick and Easy: A Pike Dinner!
“There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” ~ Stephen Wright
Doesn’t cooking dinner sometimes feel like just too much? I get that feeling much more often than I would like to admit. The idea of going grocery shopping for a bunch of ingredients, getting home and putting it all away, pulling it all back out to start cooking, slicing and dicing, preheating, mixing, stirring, and cooking while everyone is waiting to eat just sounds overwhelming sometimes.
I am a big fan of quick and simple meals, and especially ones that don’t come from a box or out of a drive-thru window. This quick grilled pike fish dinner is uncomplicated, delicious, and quick. The hardest part is deciding what side to pair it with!
Shopping is probably one of my least favorite activities. I wouldn’t say that I hate many things in life, but grocery shopping is definitely on the hate list (that and the dishes, I hate washing dishes!). This pike dinner is great because it requires that a very minimal amount of time be spent in the grocery store. The pike comes from the lake, so that cuts down on the ingredients right there. To pull this meal together, you only need to grab olive oil, a lemon, garlic, rosemary, and salt. I actually find that many times I have all these ingredients at home and can throw this dinner together without even venturing out of the house. I love when that happens!
The first step is to create the marinade for the fish. In a food processor, mix together a 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the juice from the lemon, a 1/4 cup of chopped fresh rosemary, three cloves of garlic, and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. In my opinion, the best kitchen appliance is the food processor. I love when I can throw a clove of garlic in the food processor and watch it mince. My hands don’t stink like garlic, and I don’t inadvertently rub it in my eyes. I have done that many times and it burns. Totally off topic, I also was closing the bottle of some hot sauce the other day, and a drop somehow shot straight into my eye. That is not something I would recommend. It burns…really bad. So, I think we have established that I am not the most graceful of people, and I might possibly be a bit accident prone.
Anyway, cut the pike into long, two inch wide strips. This makes the fish very easy to skewer. I pour my marinade in a gallon ziploc bag with the fish and allow the marinating magic to take place. You can also place the fish in a baking dish or large bowl and add the marinade to that. As I said before, I hate dishes, and using a ziploc bag reduces the dishes by a whole pan. And as I also noted before, I am apparently a bit clumsy (hot sauce in the eye) and the ziploc insures I won’t be spilling my fishy marinade all over the fridge. Now, in a perfect world, this marinade should sit in the fridge for about eight hours. So, if you remember in the morning that you want to have the grilled fish for dinner, whip up your marinade and allow the fish to soak in it all day. However, I have made this fish many times with only letting it sit for an hour and it still works great. So, for the record: eight hours ideal; one hour still works great.
Preheat the grill to a medium-high heat. You can also brush a bit of oil on the grill, if you so desire. My fish didn’t have any problem with sticking to the grill and I didn’t use any extra oil, but if you have an issue with things sticking to the grill, you might give brushing a little oil on the grate a try. Thread your pike onto the skewers. I bought a bunch of metal skewers to use on the grill, because I had lost interest in prepping the wooden ones. The wooden ones are fine to use, and are a little cheaper than investing in metal ones. Just remember, if you are using wooden skewers you should soak them for at least thirty minutes, preferably an hour, in water. This will prevent the skewers from catching on fire while on the grill.
Once your grill is hot, place the skewers directly on the heat. Do not move them once they have touched the grate. If you try and move them around, you are at great risk for ripping your fish. Plus, you want to let your fish get those beautiful grill marks, right? Grill the first side for four to five minutes and then flip the fish once. Grill the second side for another four to five minutes. Pike meat is a little more substantial than other fish. It doesn’t really get flakey, like how I would describe a trout or walleye. The meat has a mild flavor, and it tastes best if it isn’t over-cooked or dried out.
Well, that is about it for this easy fish dinner. I served my pike skewers with a side of steamed rice and lemon slices for squeezing over my fish. Other compatible sides would be mashed potatoes with a little rosemary and garlic to help pull the two dishes together, a lemon risotto would be beautiful with this dish if you are thinking a bit more fancy, or even just a simple side salad. I think you can pair pike with either a red or white wine, since it is a more hearty fish. Enjoy and Happy Hunting!
Quick and Easy: A Pike Dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized pike (about a pound to a pound and half of meat)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 4 to 5 stems of fresh rosemary (about a quarter cup of leaves)
- 3 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper
- lemons for squeezing on your fish!
Instructions
- Slice pike meat into long two inch wide slices.
- Place olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary leaves, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper in food processor. Pulse until garlic is minced and ingredients are combined.
- Pour rosemary-oil mixture over fish in Ziploc bag. Place bag in fridge to marinade for eight hours, or overnight.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush with oil to prevent sticking.
- Remove fish from bag and thread onto skewers.
- Place fish on hot grill, four to five minutes per side.
- Serve with lemon wedges! Enjoy!
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