TOPIC:

I voted yes and here's what I tell my customers.

I'd rather have a trimmed, skinned laker fillet on the grill than salmon. No butter or anything other than Lawry's Seasoned Salt and fresh cracked pepper. Because of the oils, harder to overcook so grill it longer than you would a salmon to let the oils drip out.

Lakers are very good smoked but I like smoked fish very well smoked. Don't know what to call it, but re-fillet each filet so each is only 1/2 inch thick or so and it can smoke through and not just be oily, cooked meat in the middle. You could score the filets, I suppose, like the Alaskan guys do with their dried salmon to preserve them. Same principle.

Lakers are superior in fish boils. Traditionally done outdoors on an open fire in giant kettles, you can do family sized boils on a propane fish cooker or even inside on a stove. Easy recipe.

Roughly equal parts fish, onions and potatoes chunked in roughly equal sizes.
(Red potatoes are best, smaller onions if you can find them)
Half a pot of salt water. Very salty. Add a bit more salt once you think there's enough.
(The fish won't taste salty. I'm told the salt water keeps the fish from falling apart.)
Get the water boiling, add the potatoes, cook 20 minutes.
Add the onions, cook 20 minutes
Add the lake trout, cook 20 minutes.
This is all boiling, none of that sissy, simmering stuff.
Pour off the water ASAP since the oils are floating at the top of the water.
Serve with melted butter.

Two other thoughts.
1) Laker meat varies from nearly flesh colored to deep yellow or orange. More orange/yellow = less fat/oil = better flavor when fresh cooked. Reserve the "whiter" meat for smoking, boiling.

2) Everyone I know thinks deep fried or pan fried coho is terrific. Try Fryin' Magic coating mix. Made in Indiana.

BNature wrote:

I voted yes and here's what I tell my customers.

I'd rather have a trimmed, skinned laker fillet on the grill than salmon.

What do you tell yourself or others that aren't your customers?

I have never heard this statement about Lake Michigan Lake Trout before. I have friends that catch and eat Lakers from Canadian lakes and have asked if they could have a small one from Lake Michigan. Each and every time they were severely disappointed that the Lakers from Lake Michigan were inferior in taste to their Canadian cousins.

"Gamey" is how one guy put it.

No one has ever asked for a second one either.

With the prospect of salmon fishing on the apparent decline for the immediate future, I would tell my customers that Lake Trout were the best fighting, tastiest fish of all the Great Lakes too.

I have conducted blind taste tests on the grill using friends and family and lake trout actually wins for some people

But I do agree, Canadian lakers taste better. Cleaner colder water, different genetics, different diet

Actually I only ate lakers few times but I was told to boil them!!! Straight meat no skin with a little salt boil em!!! Pull them out the water n dip the meat in butter and whalla it taste likes LOBSTER!!! At least that's what I was told n it sorta does!!! Try it next time

I think we are starting to get confused with BN's beloved Gaspergoo.