Recipe of the Month

by Duane Radford

Foil Shore Lunch

Ingredients
● can of pork and beans (or creamed corn)
● large sheet of aluminum foil
● ¼ brick of lard
● 1 white Spanish onion (diced)
● 2 russet potatoes (diced)
● 2 lake trout fillets (cubed in bite size pieces)
● 1 can mushroom soup
● 1 lemon (halved)
● garlic salt
● sea salt
● lemon pepper
● ketchup 

This recipe for a hearty shore lunch is LOADED with calories to warm your body as you unwind from a great fishing trip. It features cubed lake trout fillets baked in foil with a tasty sauce and veggies. Credit for the recipe goes to my trusty fishing guide, Ryan Mercer, at Frontier Lodge, Northwest Territories who prepared it for me on the shore of the majestic Great Slave Lake.

First off, stack rocks in two rows about six inches high, one foot apart, and build a fire between them using driftwood and small branches.

Directions
1. Place a grill between the flat rocks over the fire. Partially open the lid of the can of beans or creamed corn. Place it on the side of a grate over top of the fire. Leave it on the grill until it starts to boil.
2. Cube ¼ of a brick of lard and place the cubes on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil approximately 12x12 inches in size. (Sources claim that lard can be a part of a balanced diet, but should be consumed in moderation, like any other fat.)
3. Spread the diced onion and potatoes in a row on the foil on top of the lard.
4. Fillet a 4–5-pound lake trout and cut out the Y-bones (i.e., pin bones along the lateral line). Slice the fillets into bite-size pieces. Spread the cubed fillets on top of the diced potatoes.
5. Pour mushroom soup over top of the trout, onions and potatoes.
6. Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon over the ingredients.
7. Liberally season the cubed trout with garlic salt, sea salt and lemon pepper.
8. Squirt some ketchup over all of the ingredients to add a bit more zest.
9. Wrap the aluminum foil around the ingredients and pinch both ends to make a good seal to bake the ingredients. Place the foiled trout wrap on top of the grate once the fire is going strong with red hot coals. Bake it for 15-20 minutes, turning it over a few times. Use tongs or leather gloves to remove the foil from the fire. Open the foil and spoon out the trout and veggies. Squeeze extra lemon juice if desired. Serve the foiled trout with the baked pork and beans or creamed corn.

Lake trout pairs well with chilled Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc or lager and pilsner beer. The baked trout in foil will come on like a flavor bomb!

That’s all there’s to it. No fuss, no muss—cleanup is a breeze. Be sure to douse the campfire with water after your shore lunch has been cooked and ensure that it is completely extinguished!