“Cooking with fire is primal,” says Brian Howard, chef and owner of Las Vegas restaurant Sparrow + Wolf, and a live-fire cooking enthusiast. “It forces you to slow down and be present; you can’t just set it and forget it and walk away.” Plus, it’s fun — and the flavor of the wood smoke is hard to beat.
Howard grew up in Michigan, surrounded by water and trees, and has continued making nature — namely, camping — a part of his life. It was during a recent camping trip, which involved trout fishing, that he developed this recipe for trout rillette. “I chose rillette because it’s simple and impactful,” Howard explains. “You don’t need a lot to pack and you can substitute the dish with salmon or any other fatty fish.”
The most important thing, according to Howard, is to get the freshest fish possible and keep it as cold as you can when packing it into the campsite. And because the dish is so simple, Howard recommends investing in high-quality ingredients, like grass-fed butter and good sea salt. “The hardest thing about this dish is actually building the fire,” Howard jokes. “I do most of the prep before I leave for camping; this dish should take 15 to 20 minutes max.”
To really highlight the richness of the trout and creme fraiche, Howard recommends topping the rillettes with fresh herbs, like dill, and serving it alongside grilled bread. For the perfect side dish, toss foil-wrapped sweet potatoes in the fire; they’ll become soft and custardy by the time the rillette is ready.
“I have this sense of nostalgia for sitting around the campfire and sharing memories and stories,” Howard says. “And this dish goes beyond just a hot dog on a stick or can of beans.”
Sparrow + Wolf Campfire Trout Rillette Recipe
1 whole trout, gutted and scaled
15 grams kosher salt
5 grams cracked black pepper
20 grams olive oil
2 lemon slices
2 sprigs thyme
2 shallots, 1 halved for charring and 1 raw finely chopped
100 grams butter
20 grams preserved lemon rind, finely diced
10 grams Dijon mustard
1 lemon, zested
60 grams creme fraiche
10 grams fresh dill or wild herbs
10 grams white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, optional
Grilled rustic sourdough, as needed
Flaky sea salt, to finish
Step 1: Fire-roast the trout: Rub the trout inside and out with salt, pepper, and oil. Stuff with lemon slices and thyme. Wrap in foil or place in a grill basket. Cook over coals, about 4-6 minutes per side until flaky. Let the fish cool, then flake the flesh into a bowl, removing the bones and skin.
Step 2: Build the rillette: Char one shallot over the fire, then mince. In a small camp pot, melt the butter. Add the charred shallot, raw chopped shallot, preserved lemon, mustard, herbs, and zest. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche. Gently fold in the flaked trout. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar if desired. Chill in the cooler to firm.
Step 3: Serve by scooping the rillette onto grilled sourdough. Finish with flaky sea salt and torn herbs if available. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Dina Ávila is a photographer living in Portland, Oregon.
Recipe tested by Ivy Manning
