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Cooking With Trout

By: Kate Simpson BA, MA - Updated: 31 Dec 2012 | comments*Discuss
 
Cooking Fish Trout Brown Trout Rainbow

For many a fishing fan, the joy of the sport doesn’t end at the close of a relaxing day’s fishing. Taking home a fish caught with care and skill, or even luck, can be a rewarding experience. Tucking into a delicious meal of fresh fish is a true rural treat. Classed as an oily fish, trout is a healthy source of protein and can be served in a wide variety of ways. Although often considered a bony fish, it is loved my many for its tasty quality. The fish’s flavour is influenced by the diet it receives. Many find trout fed on crustaceans to be tastier than those fed only on insects. Ask at your local fishery if you’re keen to learn more about the trout that is set to make it to your dinner plate.

Preparing Trout

Whether you catch a brown trout, a rainbow trout or another variety, trout is relatively simple and quick to prepare. Bear in mind that a trout weighing between 2 and 4 pounds is best for cooking. Larger trout, the breeders, are often less tasty and prove difficult to cook. To prepare your trout, lay it on a sturdy chopping board. Taking a knife, begin at the animal’s anus and carefully cut the fish along the belly, continuing to the throat. Take care to insert the knife into the tissue between the fish’s gills and cut outwards, at an angle perpendicular to the fish’s belly, towards the head. Clasp the fish’s entrails and remove them. Next, wash the fish under cold running water. Using a spoon, remove the line of blood that runs along the spine, then wash the fish in gently salted water. This will remove any residue. Your trout is now gutted and can be cooked whole. The head and tail can be removed with scissors, if desired. If you are keen to serve fillets, remove the bones and snip in two.

Cooking Trout

Trout can be cooked and served in a myriad of ways. Rainbow trout is particularly delicious when barbequed. Score the skin of four fillets with a knife, brush both sides of each fillet with olive oil and season. Cook the fillets on the BBQ, skin-side down for three to four minutes. Serve with a fennel and apple remoulade. To make the remoulade, mix the zest and juice of one lemon, two finely sliced fennel bulbs, two grated granny smith apples, chopped coriander and 120g of crème fraiche. Lemon wedges also make a tasty addition to this dish.

Brown trout is particularly delicious when baked. Taking four unfilleted trout, make a few incisions along the outside of the fish. Fill the incisions with two finely chopped fennel bulbs and two crushed cloves of garlic. Fill the cavity of the fish with a little extra fennel. Oil four large pieces of foil, sparingly. Envelop each trout in its own foil parcel, place in baking tin and cook for ten to fifteen minutes at 200C or Gas mark 6. Serve with steamed new potatoes and fresh garden peas.

Crumbled pieces of baked or fried trout also makes a tasty addition to a salad. For an oriental twist on a classic British dish, grill trout fillets sprinkled with Japanese seven spice and a dash of toasted sesame oil. As you gain confidence in cooking with trout, don’t be afraid to improvise and get creative. There’s no limit to the number of ways that you can cook this delicious fish, meaning that even those who fish regularly will never tire of eating the trout they catch.

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