We are ecstatic to have fresh fish back at the market weekly! Otter Creek Trout Farm, based in Topton, NC came to us as a guest vendor at the Spring A Ma Jig and we’ve been hooked ever since! Chattanooga native Alex Dennison, proprietor and head fisherman, owned a plumbing business for sixteen years, so waterworks was no mystery to him. Alex took over Otter Creek Trout Farm on Memorial Day 2002 and has been delivering fresh fish to ravishing restaurants like The Boathouse, Canyon Grill, Sidetrack, County Side Cafe, Walden Club and Green Leaf Grill in Mentone, AL.

As I never prepared fresh fish before, I was eager to serve it up but didn’t know exactly how to do so. Alex and Mandy, his booth head honcho, reassured me that keeping it simple is best and they told me the cheek meat is the most tender and try the eyeballs (which were crunchy and not too shabby). Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. Its ready with you stick a fork in it and it pulls away light and flaky. We now top ours with lemon and onion, and line the baking dish with spicy greens to add flavor as well as help not scorch the pan.

Regarding the bones, there are two methods—filet the fish before cooking and this method is usually used for fried fish. Here is a link on how to do it— https://youtu.be/4c0AZFz6rjU

The second method is to cook the fish, remove the meat from the bones before plating and chew slowly. The benefit from this method is that you get more meat because it comes cleanly off the bones however you still have to take caution while chewing as some bones still find their way to your plate. Another benefit with this method is that the bones are softened therefore, if you do end up with a bone in your bite, its softer.

I have learned the slow food movement includes chewing slowly too.

Stop by Otter Creek Trout Farm’s booth and you’ll agree the fish is delish! No bones about it (I had to ;-).