Over the New Year we were invited to spend some time with extended family in a rented bach in Taupo. In driving rain we made our way up the 'main trunk line'. Our destination, a lovely spot (nestled on the edge of Lake Taupo) called Rainbow Point. It was a beautiful place and an ideal opportunity to relax and share some time reading, chatting, eating and drinking. Oh and the odd party game as well. Hilarious fun!
Each night a couple would prepare a dinner and clean up afterwards, the perfect solution to ensuring we were well fed - keeping both cooks and guests happy!
On our last day the sun finally shone. It gave the fisher people in the group an opportunity to venture out and catch something for dinner. With a guides help they effortlessly caught five trout, apparently from a depth of 140 feet. With their sleek silvery bodies, they are a beautiful fish ( I thanked them for giving us their life!).
As most NZ'ers will know, you cannot buy trout commercially or eat it in a restaurant - it is a protected species in this country. So, the only way you get to eat trout is to go fishing and hope you are lucky enough to hook one on your line. I cannot remember catching (or eating trout) and I was very grateful that someone was happy to do that for me. I am not a catcher or a gutter of fish!! Getting a wriggling, gasping fish off a hook is not for fainthearted me and as for removing fish guts, no thanks.......!!
The guide on the boat gave the cook (and catcher) the following recipe. They were baked to perfection on our BBQ and served at our long table with a couple of delicious summer salads and homemade chips (sprinkled with dukka and salt and baked with a little oil). Yum! We added dill to the fish cavity but in hindsight it was felt we should have left it out as trout flesh has a very subtle flavour, some considered the dill was not required and overpowered the flavour of the fish a bit.
Baked Taupo Trout
Take one gutted and scaled fresh fish, wash clean and pat dry with a paper towel
In the cavity, sprinkle with brown sugar, lemon pepper and a little salt.
Wrap tightly in tin foil.
Bake on a hot BBQ plate for 8 mins each side.
Remove and peel off tin foil, the skin should just come away from the fish.
Gently remove flesh by scooping off the bone, one side at a time. The bones should
just slip/peel off, you can then easily access the underside flesh of the fish.
After dinner we took our chairs out onto the lawn and finished the night watching the amazing firework display across the lake, magic!
Each night a couple would prepare a dinner and clean up afterwards, the perfect solution to ensuring we were well fed - keeping both cooks and guests happy!
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| On our second day, the view from the deck. No rain at last! |
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| Catching the last bit of the sun |
As most NZ'ers will know, you cannot buy trout commercially or eat it in a restaurant - it is a protected species in this country. So, the only way you get to eat trout is to go fishing and hope you are lucky enough to hook one on your line. I cannot remember catching (or eating trout) and I was very grateful that someone was happy to do that for me. I am not a catcher or a gutter of fish!! Getting a wriggling, gasping fish off a hook is not for fainthearted me and as for removing fish guts, no thanks.......!!
The guide on the boat gave the cook (and catcher) the following recipe. They were baked to perfection on our BBQ and served at our long table with a couple of delicious summer salads and homemade chips (sprinkled with dukka and salt and baked with a little oil). Yum! We added dill to the fish cavity but in hindsight it was felt we should have left it out as trout flesh has a very subtle flavour, some considered the dill was not required and overpowered the flavour of the fish a bit.
Baked Taupo Trout
Take one gutted and scaled fresh fish, wash clean and pat dry with a paper towel
In the cavity, sprinkle with brown sugar, lemon pepper and a little salt.
Wrap tightly in tin foil.
Bake on a hot BBQ plate for 8 mins each side.
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| A small wine for the cook! |
Gently remove flesh by scooping off the bone, one side at a time. The bones should
just slip/peel off, you can then easily access the underside flesh of the fish.
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| View of the bach from the lawn |
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