Try chipotle trout tacos

This unusual recipe for specks is a real winner

2014 was a harsh, cold winter that threatened speckled trout with a couple of hard freezes, but the trout held on and have rebounded, with the spring producing some impressive catches. Speckled trout are in the peak of their spawn, and as fishing has been good all spring, the expectations are for another good hatch this year.

The warm weather that warms the fish and gets them spawning gets fishermen active, too. June is a good time to catch trout before the water warms to summer hot. They are actively feeding as they spawn. Trout grow quickly and begin spawning at about 10 to 12 inches, so the spawning fish being caught include those born as recently as last year to great grandma of 5 years old.

Many dedicated fishermen catch their largest trout in June as the big sow specks are eating heavily to keep up their energy while spawning. An abundance of smaller minnows and shrimp in the estuaries are there for the big trout to eat with abandon.

This recipe doesn’t call for those big specks, and I will suggest you get a measurement, take a picture, revive those big girls and let them go. If it’s your largest speck ever, no one should think ill of you for keeping it, but keep in mind that those big sow trout are the backbone of the breeding stock, and one of them will have more eggs than several limits of smaller specks.

It’s only basic math to realize that more eggs in the water this year equals more trout to be caught in the future. Perhaps you can find your way to release most of the big specks and make this recipe with a limit of smaller, but nice, specks in the 16- to 20-inch range.

The same warm weather that makes trout feel good also makes fishermen feel good. June weather isn’t too hot and muggy to have an evening meal outdoors, and this is a good recipe for that. The recipe calls for cooking trout on your grill, so it only follows to bring your family and friends outside to enjoy the cool evening, good company and the bounty from your fishing trip.

Summer officially arrives on June 21 at 12:39 p.m.  This is the longest day of the year and just another of many reasons to enjoy a light, tasty and healthy meal of trout tacos on your deck or patio with friends and family. Just be sure you are the fisherman sent to collect the specks to make the tacos.

8th Wonder Chipotle trout tacos

Speckled trout are one of the most-popular gamefish along the coast of the North Carolina and South Carolina, and they taste pretty good, too. This recipe came about as a different way to eat them beyond the traditional frying and grilling. I think it hits the spot, but it also serves as a means to get kids and others who don’t usually care for fish to give them a try. Fish tacos have grown in popularity, and these are easy to make. I believe they are tastier than any you will find at a seafood restaurant and suggest you try them to confirm it.

Regular readers will recognize 8th Wonder as one of my favorite spice rubs. It got my attention several years ago when I learned that two of the primary ingredients are coffee and cocoa. It also helps that it is a local product, made in Wilmington, N.C. Since my introduction, I have used it on venison, game birds and fish and have enjoyed it at every challenge. It is becoming more widely available in the specialty items sections of upper end supermarkets and gourmet shops and is also available on-line at Amazon or from www.8thwonderspice.com.

The Chipotle ranch dressing was a surprise find in the salad dressing isle of a grocery store and was intended for salads. However, after enjoying a bottle or two on salads, I knew there was somewhere else where it would be the perfect addition. One afternoon, I decided its flavor was what I had been looking for to complete these tacos. I’m sure once you try it you’ll agree. It isn’t hot but has a smoky flavor with a little edge. It is also a great salad dressing for those who like ranch dressing but would like a little more flavor.

Cabbage salad mix is an excellent addition to fish tacos and can be purchased packaged in most grocery stores, which saves some effort and makes the recipe easier. Fish tacos are different, and I believe lettuce is too light and green cabbage by itself too heavy. The mixture of green and red cabbage, kale, romaine, sweet carrots and green onions is just right to add to the fish without overpowering it. I sometimes eat this as my dinner salad with the chipotle ranch dressing, and it is somewhere between salad and slaw and tastes really good. When added to the fish tacos, it is even better.

Some folks will add the avocado and peach mango salsa, and some won’t. They are add-ons for those who would prefer a little sweet twang in the mixture. You should try them. They really do change the taste a little.

The trout, veggies and spices combine into a nice, light meal that is easy to prepare, healthy, tasty and fun to eat. It readily lends itself to outdoor meals with friends and family, who should appreciate it’s light spicy taste that isn’t overly hot. Like the old potato chip commercial says, “I bet you can’t eat just one.”

INGREDIENTS:

4 trout fillets

1 lemon

1 lime

1 orange

8th Wonder spice blend

Guacamole

Tomato

Avocado

1/2 Vidalia onion

Chopped cabbage salad mix (crunchy cabbage, kale, romaine, sweet carrots & green onions)

Wish-Bone Chipotle Ranch salad dressing,

6- or 8-inch flour tortillas

Peach mango salsa

PREPARATION:

Cut trout into finger-size pieces. Squeeze juice of lemon, lime and orange into a Ziploc bag. Put trout pieces into bag with juice, mix well and marinate 30 minutes.

Cut onion into strips. Preheat grill to medium. Sprinkle a little 8th Wonder on onion strips and wilt them a little on top grill rack. Sprinkle 8th Wonder liberally on trout pieces and spread them on a grill pan or vegetable tray. Cook trout about 5 to 8 minutes, until the meat flakes lightly.

Slice avocado and tomato. Warm tortillas on grill. Spread guacamole on tortilla. Build taco using fish, tomatoes, cabbage salad mix, onion and avocado to personal taste. Drizzle chipotle ranch dressing on cabbage salad mix. Add salsa if desired.

This goes well with a fun, fresh vegetable, like corn on the cob and a fruit salad with watermelon and cantaloupe is an excellent way to finish.