How to Cook Rainbow Trout and Rainbow Trout Recipes

Rainbow trout are actually native only to North America, many people will be surprised to learn. In recent times, however, they have been extensively introduced to lakes, lochs and reservoirs around the world and have become an extremely popular eating fish in a great many countries. They are also popular with anglers, particularly those who want to catch their fish and eat it. The ways in which it is possible to cook and enjoy rainbow trout are many and this page is devoted to exploring a number of different cooking and serving suggestions, for your sampling and hopefully your pleasure.

This method of cooking whole rainbow trout is strictly speaking a combination of steaming and baking and produces a beautifully moist and tasty result.

Ingredients for Two People

2 whole rainbow trout, each about 2lb
2fl oz white wine
4 sprigs of fresh dill or equivalent amount of fresh basil
Salt and white pepper
Fresh salad of choice
Slices of fresh, crusty bread

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 375F/190C. If you have caught the fish yourself, you should gut them and wash them throughly in cold water. Otherwise, you can have your fishmonger take care of this part if you wish.

Take a large sheet of foil and lay it in a moderately deep baking tray. Be sure to use a sheet large enough that the rainbow trout can be wrapped in to a sealed but loose tent. You do not want the fish tightly wrapped. Lay the trout in the centre and stuff the belly cavities with the herbs. Pour the wine over and season. You may think that this is not much wine to use - and it won't look it - but it is vital that you remember you are steaming and not poaching the trout. Carefully wrap the foil, ensuring it is sealed and place in to the oven for thirty minutes ( each trout taking 15 minutes per pound).

Prepare your salad while the rainbow trout are cooking. You can suit your own tastes here, with a green salad leaf, some sliced red onion and pitted black olives just a few ideas to consider.

Remove the trout from the oven and stick a metal skewer carefully in to the thickest part of the flesh. Minimal resistance means that the trout are cooked. They can then either be laid on the salad in a serving dish as at the top of this page and taken to the table that way, laid whole on the plate, filleted and served, or even pulled in to bite sized pieces and laid atop the salad. Serve immediately with the crusty bread.

Ingredients per Person

1/2lb fillet of rainbow trout (skin on)
3 slices of French style bread loaf
1 clove of garlic
1oz butter
Juice of half a lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Flour for dusting fish
Flat leafed parsley to garnish

Method

Add the butter and lemon juice to a large, non-stick frying pan and place on a low heat. Scatter some flour on a large dinner plate and season with salt and pepper. Pat the rainbow trout fillet in the flour on the skin side only. Gently shake off the excess flour. Increase the heat under the pan to medium and add the rainbow trout fillet, skin side down.

When you can see that the rainbow trout fillet has cooked most of the way through, turn off the heat under the pan. Turn the fillet and allow it to complete the cooking process in the residual heat only while you prepare your bruschetta.

Toast the bread slices under an overhead grill on both sides until golden. Peel the garlic clove and lightly crush it under the blade of a large knife, just enough to release the fragrant juices. Rub the garlic clove over the top of the hot toast, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Plate the rainbow trout fillet with the bruschetta alongside. Roughly chop the flat leafed parsley and scatter over the top to garnish.

Ingredients per Person

1/2lb fillet of rainbow trout (skin on)
2oz butter
1 large, floury potato
1 egg
3 large slices of tomato
3 slices of cucumber
2 tbsp sweet corn
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
1 tsp freshly chopped dill leaves
Salt and white pepper

Method

If you keep your eggs in the refrigerator, remove the egg a couple of hours in advance to allow it to reach room temperature. Add it to a pot with enough cold water to comfortably cover the egg. Put on a high heat until the water boils then reduce the heat to achieve a simmer for seven minutes. Take your pot to the sink and run cold water in it until the egg is cool enough to handle. Crack the shell and peel under running cold water. Place the egg in to a basin of cold water to cool it quickly. This prevents the unattractive blue/grey tinge from forming around the edges of the yolk.

Peel the potato and chop in to 1" pieces. Add to a pot of lightly salted cold water and bring to a boil. SImmer for twenty-five minutes.

Put your oven on to preheat when the potatoes are put on to cook, to 400F/200C. Lay your rainbow trout fillet in the centre of a large sheet of foil on a baking tray. Use 1oz of the butter and break it up over the trout as shown. Season with salt and white pepper. Wrap the foil loosely but securely and bake for fifteen minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the empty pot with the remaining ounce of butter and most of the chopped dill. Swirl gently to ensure even coating. Remove the rainbow trout fillet from the oven, carefully unwrap and plate. Add the potatoes, the sweetcorn, the tomato and cucumber slices and the egg, which should be quartered. Spoon the horseradish sauce on to the plate and use the remaining dill as a final garnish.

Thank you for visiting this page and for spending some time looking through it. I hope that these recipes appeal to you and that you will give at least one of them a try. Any comments or feedback which you have may be left in the space below.