This Was The First Fish Bobby Flay Ever Caught, And How He Likes To Cook It

Chef Bobby Flay has always been drawn to food, which began with using an Easy-Bake Oven at the tender age of 6. More than 50 years later, Flay is still cooking with no signs of slowing down, creating delectable dishes both in professional kitchens and alongside campfires. In an exclusive interview with Mashed, Bobby Flay reveals that brook trout is his go-to camping recipe. "The first time I caught a fish when I was a kid, it was brook trout," he explained. Brook trout are small fish, usually reaching less than a foot in length, with spotted skin and orange-colored bellies. The flesh is mild and delicate and can be sweeter than most other fish, which makes it a perfect catch to serve with minimalist preparations.

In terms of how he prefers to cook brook trout, Flay keeps things incredibly simple. "Literally add brown butter and some capers and that's it," the celebrity chef advises. "It's the easiest sauce in the world. You take some butter, put it in a pan, you let it get brown." A fish as lean as trout pairs well with a rich, buttery sauce to make up for the lack of fat in the fish. Browning the butter to envelop the mild fish gives it a deeper, nuttier flavor than just melted butter alone, and the capers add pops of salinity to keep things exciting and well-balanced. Brown butter is incredibly easy to make, as long as you avoid some critical mistakes.

It was when asked about easy camping recipes that Flay highlighted brook trout as his favorite, recalling his first successful fishing venture as a child. Small trout like brook trout can easily fit in a grilling basket and be cooked directly over the campfire or over hot coals and embers, as their thin flesh doesn't take long to cook. After cleaning and gutting the whole fish, simply season with salt and pepper. If you have any slices of fresh lemon or herbs, stuff those in the small cavity before placing the whole fish in the grill basket.

While it may seem too fancy for camping, you can always make brown butter at home ahead of your camping trip, pour it into an airtight container with a lid, and store it in the fridge. Then, as you pack your cooler for your camping trip, simply throw the browned butter in alongside other refrigerated foods, and you'll have a delectable brown butter sauce ready to pour on any fish you might catch. Make sure you toss a small jar of capers in along with your other shelf-stable camping provisions so you can have a gourmet meal by the campfire. Before your next trek out to the wilderness, set yourself up for camping culinary success with our best tips for cooking dishes over a campfire.

Static Media owns and operates Tasting Table and Mashed.