Easy trout recipe

[LadyShea]

Frankie's birthday is coming up and I wanted to make him a special dinner. A customer of his brought him a big ass trout (I think) and it's sitting in the freezer because I haven't the slightest idea what to do with it. It has like skin and scales and everything on it.

Any ideas? Please keep in mind I am not much of a cook, nor am I a fish eater. Is this too ambitious of me?

[JoeP]

Fish should not be overprepared, and certainly not overcooked. You could do worse that just grilling it (medium hot, and not for too long). Almonds are traditional, and not bad. Make a lemon butter sauce.

Or ... if it's really a big one, grab your wok with lid and one of those shelves that clips to the side of the wok. Cover it with thin slices of ginger and short sprigs of spring onions, fill the wok with water and a good dollop of soy sauce and rice wine (dry sherry if you can't get rice wine), and steam it. The liquid level should be below the fish - that's what the shelf is for. And the lid obviously, to keep the steam in. And anything less wide than a wok isn't going to hold a large fish.

Serve with rice, stir-fried bamboo shoots, snow peas, that kind of stuff.

I can look up recommended cooking times and stuff if this appeals to you.

[JoeP]

Oh, and skin is fine; you can take it off after cooking. I think the scales should be scraped off before, because they get everywhere, and that's a messy job. If it hasn't been gutted, gut it -and that's another messy job. All worth it though.

[LadyShea]

I don't have a wok, but I have a steamer insert for my frying pan...steaming sounds interesting and I would like more info if you don't mind.

It looks like it was beheaded and gutted...how do I clean the scales?

[freemonkey]

Apparently, there are many ways to cook trout (http://www.cooks.com/rec/search?q=+trout) .

Yum!

Also, according to this page (http://www.kroger.com/HN_Food_Guide/Trout.htm) (about halfway down, under Preparation, uses, and tips), you don't need to worry about the scales.

Enjoy!

[LadyShea]

Oh man, I went out to look at the trout to determine guttedness and found two huge salmon steaks as well! Now which one do I cook?

[Goliath]

A trout recipie, eh? Uhhh...hmmm....

Prepare a rub by starting with a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add about three shots of tequila...then take a shot...then add another...then take another...whoa, easy.

Ok, well..uhhh...add some random spices and stuff...tarragon, sage, and that other crap that's in the spice rack that you usually don't use (sage? is that made from a real sage?). Then...uhh...put in 5 cups of tobasco sauce. Add AA batteries to taste. Mix thoroughly in a blender.

Stuff the trout with...oh hell, I dunno...marshmallows..sure, why not? Then rub the marinade on the trout. Leave the trout sit in the hot sun for at least 36 hours. Then either grill or bake (preheating oven to 675 degrees).

Lemme know how it turns out! :P

(and yes, I'm in kind of a weird mood...)

[JoeP]

Goliath, that's ridiculous. Who's got the patience to wait 36 hours? Can't I just use a blowtorch?

[JoeP]

Oh man, I went out to look at the trout to determine guttedness and found two huge salmon steaks as well! Now which one do I cook?
The salmon steaks should be brushed with olive oil and black pepper, then grilled until just cooked through (none of the flesh translucent). Serve with home-made mayonnaise (ok, shop mayonnaise plopped into a dish), possibly aioli (if you can get it or a recipe), and best of all hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce is heaven.

But which to cook? Hmm.

[JoeP]

I don't have a wok, but I have a steamer insert for my frying pan...steaming sounds interesting and I would like more info if you don't mind.

It looks like it was beheaded and gutted...how do I clean the scales?
Scales: hold fish by tail, scrape with the back/blunt edge of a knife from tail towards head. But as freemonkey says, maybe it's not important for trout.

Steaming.

Wash and pat-dry the fish. Rub with a little salt (including inside) and let sit for 30 mins. Finely shred some ginger, spring onions and garlic.
Bring water to boil in steamer. Place fish on rack, sprinkle with ginger, spring onions and garlic. Steam for about 10 minutes (maybe more - I think trout will cook quite quickly though). ("8-10 mins per inch thickness of fish.") The steamer must be tightly covered during the steaming. I've served this at the table in a wok - when you lift the lid, billows of steam and delicious smells emerge!

What I said about putting rice wine (sherry) and soy into the steaming water may be wrong ... I think flavours don't come through with the steam.

Alt 1: keep the spring onions and garlic back, brown the garlic in a mix of sesame + peanut oils, and pour the garlic-oil mixture over the cooked fish, with soy sauce and the spring onions.

Alt 2: include chinese dried shrimps and dried mushrooms, soaked for an hour, the mushrooms then chopped. Make a marinade of cornflour, soy sauce, sherry/rice wine, and a bit of sugar; marinate the fish for 30 mins (or more). Cover the fish with the shrimps, mushrooms, spring onions (don't chop all the spring onions finely, leave some for decoration), ginger and garlic - and some strips of bacon - then steam. Mmm, yum.

:fishy:

[Goliath]

Goliath, that's ridiculous. Who's got the patience to wait 36 hours? Can't I just use a blowtorch?

But that wouldn't give the acidic paste from the chopped up AA batteries the chance to work their magic on the trout, now would it?

I guess if you're in a hurry, you can slather the trout with a marinade of melted chocolate and hot dog water.

:D

[JoeP]

Just to check, by hot dog water do you mean the water that a hot dog's been heated in, or the water that a dog's been washed in, heated up, or just dog piss? Each would bring quite a different character to the dish.

[Goliath]

LOL...I meant water that the hot dog has been cooked in.

Although I guess you could try the other "flavor" combinations, too. :P

[Dingfod]

The best trout I ever ate was fresh brookies caught in a high mountain lake, fried in butter right by the shore, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. It was to die for.

I don't remember there being any scales. I just gutted them, fried the pan-sized boogers up and ate everything but the bones, head and tail, skin included.


Warren

[LadyShea]

Thanks all! Maybe I can do this....seems easy enough to cook. And I love Hollandaise sauce...maybe the Salmon Steaks would be a better choice?

[viscousmemories]

Thanks all! Maybe I can do this....seems easy enough to cook. And I love Hollandaise sauce...maybe the Salmon Steaks would be a better choice?
So did you decide to go with the potted water or the dog urine?

[LadyShea]

So did you decide to go with the potted water or the dog urine?

I should think that is obvious :snooty:

[freemonkey]

Thanks all! Maybe I can do this....seems easy enough to cook. And I love Hollandaise sauce...maybe the Salmon Steaks would be a better choice?
Its very easy to overcook fish, rendering it tough and chewy. How much time before the big day? Maybe you could go buy a small piece of supermarket fish or two to practice on before you try THE fish.

[LadyShea]

I only have 3 days....I think if I watch it carefully I will be okay.

[JoeP]

No! No! Do the steamed trout!

[JoeP]

I only have 3 days....I think if I watch it carefully I will be okay.
Umm ... 3 days is way too long ... :P

Practising a recipe's a good idea, but rarely very much fun.

Just make sure you defrost the fish thoroughly (without using a microwave). 24 hours in the fridge should do it.

[viscousmemories]

I should think that is obvious :snooty:
Well it is to me, but not everybody likes cooking with dog pee.

[Goliath]

I only have 3 days....I think if I watch it carefully I will be okay.

Well, just remember that you have to leave the trout lying in the olive oil, tequila, tobasco and battery marinade for a full 36 hours.

I'd also add caution to make sure that the fish is out in the hot sun, but I don't thinik that'll be a problem in NV.

:D

[LadyShea]

Well, just remember that you have to leave the trout lying in the olive oil, tequila, tobasco and battery marinade for a full 36 hours.

I'd also add caution to make sure that the fish is out in the hot sun, but I don't thinik that'll be a problem in NV.

:D


We're having a cooling trend, it will only be in the 90's...is that hot enough or is all ruined due to this damnable low pressure system?

[Goliath]

Only in the 90's? Blech... Give me some -20 anyday...

Anyways, yeah, 90 degree weather should be fine. Let us know how it turns out. :P

[LadyShea]

The steamed trout was a big hit and soooo easy. I didn't fuck it up or overcook it or anything and I am a retard in the kitchen!

Thanks JoeP!

[viscousmemories]

Glad to hear it, Lady. Congrats. :)

[JoeP]

The steamed trout was a big hit and soooo easy. I didn't fuck it up or overcook it or anything and I am a retard in the kitchen!

Thanks JoeP!
Glad it worked! I worried about this all the time during my holiday. (OK, maybe once :P)