Three Delicious ways to enjoy Trout

Growing up, pan fried fish was king. Breaded and fried with lemon juice on top, was the staple for all of the white flaky fish that we brought back home after adventures on the water. When fishing began to grow into more than a hobby, eating fish did as well. More and more I was experimenting with flavours, ingredients and cooking styles to perfect the best ways to eat, serve and share fish.

Trout is totally different from your white meat fish like bass and walleye. The pink, orange or white trout meat comes with its own flavours and fats. When allowed to dominate the meal you can truly appreciate the amazing taste of these cold water delicacies. Here are three different cooking methods and recipes to enjoy your next catch.

Cast Iron Trout

This recipe is all about letting the natural flavour of the fish in charge. This simple recipe may sound like pan fried fish, but instead is like cooking a steak. Baste the fish in the herbal garlic butter from the pan, and enjoy a time honoured classic.

Ingredients

2 large trout or 4 small trout fillets

Two tablespoons of butter

½ cup of flour

Herbs like Thyme, Rosemary or Fennel.

Directions

Heat a seasoned cast iron pan to a medium high heat.

Dredge the trout fillets in flour, to dry the fillets.

Place one tablespoon of butter in the cast iron, with the herbs of your choosing. Once the butter has melted, place the fillets skin side down onto the hot pan, searing the skin. Do not move the fish for several minutes to give the fish skin a crust.

Once the fish will move freely, carefully flip over and sear the other side of the fillet. Add the remainder of the butter. spoon the melted butter over the fish basting the fillets.

After a few minutes, check to see if the meat flakes. Remove from heat and ladle the butter mixture over the fish. Entire cooking time shouldn’t be longer than ten minutes.

Lemon Pesto Trout

Ingredients 2 large trout or 4 small trout fillets One Lemon worth of lemon juice Two Tablespoons of pesto One tablespoon of softened butter Variants Garlic, red pepper flakes, green onion, lemon zest, or your favourite herbs and seasonings Try adding sundried tomatoes and garnish with crumbled feta cheese for a Mediterranean style dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F

Place dry trout fillets skin side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a small bowl combine butter, pesto and lemon juice with any of the Variation ingredients you prefer.

Spoon marinade on trout fillets, using all of the liquid.

Bake for 11-16 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish flakes. Let the fish sit for 2 minutes before serving.

Garnish with Lemon

Whole Grilled Fish with a Cajun Sauce

For most of the world, cooking the entire fish is standard. Only in North America do fillets outserve the entire fish. Trout are some of the best fish to grill entirely, but panfish like Crappie and Sunfish crisp up nicely too.

Ingredients 2-4 whole fish. (Trout, panfish and Bass work best) Cooking oil Seasoning of your choice (Lemon pepper, Creole Spice mix, Pensy’s Northwoods seasoning, Montreal Steak Spice)

Cajun Verde Sauce 2 green onions, thinly sliced 3/4 cup celery leaves, substitute with parsley 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Prepare the fish by scaling, gutting and cleaning the fish. Completely dry the fish and bring it to room temperature. A dry, room temperature fish won’t stick to the grill as much as a wet cold fish.

Score the fish on both sides with deep vertical slashes right to the bone. Space the cuts evenly.

Use just enough oil to coat the fish entirely, especially getting the inside cavity and slash marks. Sprinkle with your seasoning. You can fill the cavity and slash marks with lemon or green onion for more flavour.

Place the whole fish directly on a greased grill at high heat. DO NOT move the fish for several minutes once placed on the grill. This will help create a crust on the skin. When the crust has formed and the fish will lift freely, flip it over and wait again for the new side to crust.

Small fish like Crappie and Brook trout will only take 8-10 minutes to cook thoroughly, but a larger thicker fish can take up to twenty minutes. When cooking a larger fish, its best to cook at lower heat or indirect heat to save the skin from burning. Be cautious to not overcook. Use a fork to flake the fish to test for readiness.

Serve the fish with the cajun verde sauce.

Cajun Verde Sauce

In small pan, sauté’ olive oil and minced garlic. Once the garlic is golden in colour, pull from heat and let stand.

Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl and slowly whisk in the toasted garlic oil. Whisk in the thinly sliced green onion celery leaves and green pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Add honey if the lemon flavour is too bitter.

One of my favourite things to do when cooking is take my pre existing recipes and adjust them to try and find more flavours and combinations. All these recipes are simple and meant to be adjusted. Try something new next time or, Improvise the ingredients. In recipes like the Lemon Pesto trout, or Cast Iron pan fried version I have left the ingredients open for your own creation. Try your own favourite spices and herbs to create your own masterpiece.

Feel free to send pictures of your recipes for trout to thomas.s.lepine@gmail.com or on any of my social media pages.