If you can’t find chef Douglas Day...

If you can’t find chef Douglas Day in the kitchen of the Lakefront Restaurant at Tamarack Lodge, look for him out on the lake. If he’s not fishing, he might be backpacking on the mountain. Or, if there’s new snow, there’s a good chance that he’s cross-country skiing in the hills behind the lodge. When he is in the kitchen, however, the New York-trained chef likes to experiment with Italian cuisine, giving a Mediterranean flavor to regional specialties such as rainbow trout. TROUT PARMESAN WITH CAPER SAUCE 2 fresh trout, 8 to 9 ounces each cup flour Salt, pepper 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated 1 egg, lightly beaten Oil 2 tablespoons diced shallots 1/2 cup white wine 2 tablespoons capers 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup fish stock Thinly sliced toasted almonds

Clean trout well, leaving head and tail intact. Mix flour with dash or two salt and pepper. Combine Parmesan cheese with flour mixture. Dredge trout in egg, then in flour mixture. Saute trout in skillet in -inch hot oil until golden brown and fish flakes easily. Remove fish from skillet and keep it warm while preparing caper sauce. For that, combine shallots, wine and capers in skillet; reduce by 1/2. Add cream and fish stock and reduce to desired thickness.

To serve, sprinkle trout with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired, then top with caper sauce and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Makes 2 servings.