Munchie: Lake trout

It's a local tradition, but is it good?

By Brandon Picchierri

Special to Metromix
March 27, 2008

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Culinarily speaking, there are very few dishes that are still specific to one region. Southern barbecue is everywhere, there are Cajun restaurants across the country. Even Maryland crab cakes (minus the required Old Bay) pop up in the most unexpected places.

Then there's lake trout—one dish that stays true to the streets of Baltimore, without so much as a thought of moving up or down I-95. Neither from an actual lake nor an actual trout, lake trout is most often a fish commonly known as an Atlantic whiting, or just whiting, and is very easily and abundantly caught right off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. Almost always deep-fried, breaded and served on plain white bread, Lake Trout usually begs for condiments. Hot sauce and mayonnaise, ketchup and horseradish, salt and pepper; the choice is yours. If it could be compared to anything, we'd describe it as a poor man's fish and chips.

Perhaps "The Wire"'s Jimmy McNulty and Bunk Moreland express it best:
McNulty: "Lake trout? It's a white fish. A trash fish."
Bunk: "Yeah; it's a white-trash fish."

But a delicious one, when done right. Read on to see which lake trout we could stomach.