Food Fight Friday: The Chief vs. Chef Fish Feast

For this week’s Food Fight Friday we have two wonderful photos that would be just at home in an art museum as they are here at Field & Stream. In subject matter they are similar—but they couldn’t be more divergent in style. Who wins will all come down to a matter of taste, and I’m not talking about flavor. Instead, it’s the clean and simple lines of F&S Copy Chief Donna Ng’s baked brown trout versus the intricate detailing done by chef Charlie Krause in his poached salmon display. Which one will get your vote?

Donna Ng’s Baked Brown Trout

I seasoned the trout cavity with salt, pepper, and Old Bay, and stuffed it with a mixture of crab; breadcrumbs; sautéed onion, garlic, carrot, and celery; parsley; and an egg to bind it together. I roasted it at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then drizzled on some extra-virgin olive oil.

Charlie Krause’s Poached Salmon

Here is a whole poached salmon I made—one of my favorite dishes. Just for your information, I am a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America and have been in the business for more than 40 years. My specialty is food art and food display. High-end buffet work was my bread and butter for years and theme display my forte. This photo includes some locally smoked seafood and was done for a wedding party I catered. Use leftovers to make a great fish salad with red onions and mayo. The cooking broth can make the base of a soup or can be used in other ways so don't let it go either. When done carefully, this dish will be a hit every time.

I want to keep this fish theme going for a while. And since the fish aren’t biting around here, I’m going to need some help from our great Wild Chef readers. So if you’ve got a fishy photo you’d like to see featured here, send it to [email protected].