preparing trout

[Guest]

anybody know how to de-bone a trout like they do in resturants? anybody have any ideas they'd like to share on how they fix'em. I tried to de-bone one and mangled it. recipes would be great too, if you got any.

[can it be luck?]

This might get interesting!.......Back to your question, on stream trout I cut their heads off and lightly scale them. Nothing more than fryed in butter. Grab the spine and lift slowly useing a fork to loosen the meat from the bones. The fish will be intact if you take your time, minus the head of course. On large trout or salmon I fillet and usually smoke them. In a smoker, not a pipe....too moist! I cleaned 10 trout and salmon last night. I forgot the fillet knife and had to use my leatherman, pretty embarrassing to show up at the fish cleaning station with no knife! Simple yes, but I like it that way. can it be luck?

[This message has been edited by can it be luck? (edited 08-05-2003).]

[EBass]

On the recipe part I only know one so here it goes.

Off with the head and guts. Clean them very well taking all the clots out.

Get the grill going.

Salt and pepper dem trout inside and out. Put a half slice of bacon, some onion, hunk-o-butter, and maybe some lemon or orange slices (if you want to be fancy that is)

Wrap one trout in foil and put it on the grill. They cook pretty fast so keep your eye on it. Flip it once. Shouldn't take more than 12-15 mins on grill depending on the heat. Maybe even less. Over cooking fish is easy to do, but don't want it under cooked either. Keep an eye on it and you should be in for some lip smacking grub.

Dang it, now I'm hungry

[Jim W]

Mine is very simple.

First, the bloodline doesn't have to be removed for cooking(preference of course).

If the trout hasn't been recently caught, I won't touch them.
I usually plan on a take home before heading out fishing, planning on a BBQ of fresh fish upon return.
(a rare occasion I might add).

ANyway, after cleaning the trout evenly coat the outside of the trout with mayo. The mayo simply keeps the trout from sticking to the grill, allowing for an even cook.

Once the skin turns golden brown flip.

You can add whatever your favorite spice or veggie prior to cooking. Lemon juice, onions or whatever, stuffing the trout lightly.

I leave the head on as well. Fun to watch the eyeballs pop!lol

It isn't much work work to pull the meat from the bone. Some filet the trout and batter fry them.

(try checking the recipes forum for many fish and game cooking ideas)

Jim W

[Redlantern]

The most common way I prepare trout is to gut and gill them. Clean out the insides, then pan fry in a bit of butter with the lid off. This let's them get a crispy skin. Before you eat, Stick fork on head and run a butter knife along the ribs as if you were filleting. When cooked, the meat comes off the bones easily.
Another way of cooking is to use foil, some oil to keep from sticking to foil and carrots. Wipe oil on foil, slice carrots and place on the foil, put fish on foil, adding whatever you like for seasoning, wrap fish up and set on grill.
I've also found a good way tasting just the fish is to put a small rack in a pan, 1/4 inch of water, put the trout on the rack above the water and cover. The fish get steamed this way.
I've found no reason to scale trout, but then again, most of mine aren't huge.

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Erik

[wade22]

Great thread; I've been looking for good ways to de-bone trout as well. I cook 'em on a grill wrapped in a generous amount of tin foil with some butter, garlic, and whatever else inside but leave the tin foil dry and grill for a decent amount of time, flipping twice each side. When I remove the tin foil, the trout's skin sticks to the tin foil, leaving two sides of meat to be used however you want. Hors' dourves usually for me. Won't eat anything over a day old either; if I keep a couple, they're in my stomach that day.
I'll have to try steaming trout. Still need to buy that smoker too. When you fillet trout, are you supposed to fillet them like you would a walleye? Found a great zucchini pasta with trout fillet recipe but don't know how to fillet them yet.

[can it be luck?]

Fillet them like a walleye or any other fish. Trout are high maintainance, you must clean them quick or make sure they are on ice. The meat will get soft on you if not taken care of quick. Time to go check the smoker, I got a batch in there now getting apple smoke inhalation.

[Renneberg]

My family just adds a bunch of brown sugar in the belly of the trout then some butter to keep it from sticking to the pan or foil.

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"Study to be quite"

[Guest]

I think I may made the mistake of not keeping them cool enough. When I cleaned the one I kept, the meat did get kinda soft. The way I fix'em is just to clean them out, brush them with a little oil and sprinke some lemmon pepper on the meat. I prefer not to add to much to them,I like the taste of them just as they are.

[Jim W]

aldar,

Try these ideas out as well.
WHen on the stream, if you plan to keep a fish(and I stress the planning part) there are a couple ways I have learned to keep a fish fresh a little bit longer.

You know, 15 minutes into the day and a fish is kept for one reason or another. Don't want to go home, right?

Grab a small willow branch(or any other) with a "fork" in it and slide your trout down(through the gill) until it catches on the fork. Stick the single edge into the bank, leaving your trout in the fresh water for you to pick up on the way back to your vehicle.
Granted, this probably isn't a good idea in a high traffic stream.

Or, try cleaning the trout and placing some wet grasses in it's belly before plopping it into your game holder on your fishing vest.

ORRRRR, just throw the uncleaned fish into your vest and off you go. Depending on the heat of the day etc., the last idea is less desirable.

If you have a cooler in your truck/car, immediately plop the fish in upon your return. GEt home, stoke the coals and get ready to eat!

I can't recall the last time I put trout in the freezer. Fresh is the ONLY way to go, plus, you'll learn to keep less utilizing this practice.

ANyother ideas for keeping trout fresh until ya get home?

Keep the rods bendin'!!!

Jim W

[wade22]

I like to stuff the trout's belly with grass as well. It seems to keep them pretty fresh. I also line my creel with grass if I plan to keep any. I like the fork idea; the cold stream water would really keep the trout cold. Especially on those hot-as-sin days when everything starts smelling ripe. I keep a little cooler with some ice in my trunk when I go fishing hungry. Helps to avoid smelling up the car.
Never thought of brown sugar either. That sounds pretty good. When I actually buy a smoker, how long does it take to smoke a couple trout?

[can it be luck?]

I usually smoke Great Lakes trout and salmon fillets. I dont normally keep stream trout unless from a lake. Last month I did keep some rainbows out of Benjamin Lake by Blackduck...Tasty! First I soak the fish in a solution of 1 cp brown sugar,3 cps salt,1 gln. water per 4 lbs of fish. around 8 hrs. I use apple wood and smoke them at 165-180 degrees. Thickness is a major factor as well as heat. 4 hrs for stream trout and 8 hrs for larger fillets. These times are all approximates, keep a close eye on them and experience is the best teacher.

[Renneberg]

When I want to keep trout I usally have a go to area of a stream that's very close to the road and has a good population of trout(keep in mind that I do this after I've fished for a couple of hours. Usally just before I head home). I spend about a hour fishing for the number I need, then head straight to the car and put them in a cooler with ice. 9 times out of 10 they are still alive when they hit the ice.

Another way to keep them fresh is not to keep any until about a half hour before you head back.

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"Study to be quite"

[Guest]

that wet grass idea sounds good. I carry a soft creel with me when I go, and I'll start bringing a cooler as well.

[Jim W]

Renneberg,

"Another way to keep them fresh is not to keep any until about a half hour before you head back".

Geeez I want fish your streams if the catching is that guaranteed!LOL

Looking forward to chasing them browns with ya on the 23rd! Send me some mail, time to get a few things down.

Jim W

[Renneberg]

O.K. that may not be a great way for everyone to bring home fresh trout, but it works for me...

Jim, you've got mail.

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"Study to be quite"