Tips from Quetico: Poor Man’s Lobster Recipe for Pike

Editor’s Note: This post comes from a week-long paddle trip through Quetico Provincial Park. See full coverage of the adventure on our Facebook page #FSQuetico.

It’s fun to try fish cooked in a variety of ways while camping, and while I’m a big fan of anything fried, this recipe is simple, fast, delicious, and just about as close as you can come to the taste of lobster tail without shelling-out for the real thing. It’s also a great way to eat pike—a fish that many anglers don’t hold in high regard as table fare because they’re so difficult to fillet.

There are several recipe variations, but my favorite is to boil about 6 cups of water in a pot, though adjust the amount depending on the size or number of fillets you’re cooking (just remember to correlate your ingredient measurements). If you cook in camp like I do, you rarely take the time to measure ingredients, so as the water begins to boil, add approximately 2/3 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of salt. It may take the water a minute or two to return to a rolling boil. Once it does, add the fish, which should sink. When the fish floats to the water’s surface, it’s done.

Remove the fish with a straining spoon and place it on a paper towel. Once it cools, season with lemon juice or other spices and serve. To really drive the lobster-like taste home, dip each piece in melted garlic butter before eating.

The great thing about Poor Man’s Lobster is the recipe is not specific for pike and you can use it with just about any white-fleshed game fish. It’s fast, delicious, and easy to cook in camp.

Ingredients
4 modestly-sized pike fillets cut into 2-inch strips or cubes
6 cups of water
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup salt
melted garlic butter
lemon juice

For a good outfitter in Quetico, check out: Moose Tracks Adventures.