Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Grilled Rainbow Trout - A Tutorial


Rainbow Trout and salmon are my two favorite fish to eat. I've been making salmon at home for a long time but have just begun using trout within the past two years. I first learned how to make trout by sautéing it on the stove (you can find that recipe here) and, just last week, I found a recipe for trout prepared on the grill. 

This preparation doesn't have the flour and cornmeal coating of the sautéed recipe so it's even lighter tasting and lighter in calories. A lemon parsley butter is added after grilling.  Green beans are the perfect side dish to serve with trout and the lemon parsley butter is fantastic on them as well. We're trying to avoid extra carbs during the week so there's no starch on the plate but roasted fingerling potatoes would be delicious with this.


We are fortunate to have a wonderful Rainbow Trout hatchery located not far from Milwaukee and I was delighted to see that our local grocery store just started carrying their trout. These babies are almost a full pound each!  They are already partially cleaned when they arrive at the store so no insides to remove or scaling necessary.

Did you know that trout is among the top ten healthiest fish to eat and contains heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids?  


To prepare the fish for grilling, start by using a thin, sharp knife and cut off the head just below the gills, the tail and any boney fins you can see or feel, including the large dorsal fin on the back of the fish.  


The back fin can be easily removed by cutting around it. Leave the rest of the backbone in place so that the two sides of the fish stay together. The skin is left on.  You don't have to eat it because the fish will flake easily off the skin after it is cooked (I don't eat it but my husband loves it).

The small bones on a Rainbow Trout are very fine so usually there is no need to worry about removing them. If you see any larger ones located near the spine you can pull them out with a pliers or your fingers - but with all the trout I've prepared, they have never been an issue.


Some people like to freeze the heads and tails to make fish stock. I like to freeze them too - until trash day. 


Now, rinse off the fillets and pat dry with paper toweling.  Place all the fillets you are planning to grill on a rimmed baking pan or a platter and brush both sides with a little olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on each side. Refrigerate until ready to use. 


We use the flat side of a cast iron griddle when grilling fish.  The fish browns beautifully and you don't have to worry about the fish falling through the grates of the grill! You still get that slightly smokey grilled flavor. Place the cast iron griddle directly on top of the grill's grates and preheat for about 15 minutes at medium high heat. 


After the grill has been preheated for about 15 minutes, grill the skin side down first for about 2-3 minutes then flip over with a large, wide spatula and and grill for another 2 minutes. Of course, this depends on the heat of your grill and the thickness of the fish. 


Other than the grilling, all of the components of this meal can be prepared ahead of time. You can have a lovely, healthy meal in less than 30 minutes!


I prepared the green beans by boiling them for 6-7 minutes in lightly salted water and then drained and plunged them into ice water to stop the cooking. They were reheated in the microwave for 2 minutes while the fish was grilling. My new favorite method is to saute some chopped onion in a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat.  Then add the blanched green beans and saute until heated through - about 1-2 minutes.  I've read that Trader Joes Crunchy Garlic Chili is wonderful on sauteed green beans too.  Can't wait to try that next time! 

Update:  The cast iron griddle we used to use had seen better days so now we use a Lodge Cast Iron Griddle.  We love it! 

Shop for our cast iron griddle HERE and large wide grill spatulas HERE!  (Affiliate Link)  

Grilled Butterflied Trout with Lemon Parsley Butter

Adapted from Bobby Flay and The Food Network
Printable Recipe
 
Serves: 4 servings

4 (1-pound) trout without head, scaled, gutted, and butterflied (skin on)
Olive oil or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon-Parsley Butter, recipe follows
Parsley sprigs, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish

If possible, place a large, cast iron griddle on the grates of your grill with the flat side up.  Spray the griddle with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat the grill to medium high to high depending on how hot your grill gets. I prefer medium high on ours.

Brush the trout fillets on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, skin side down, until slightly charred and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn each fish over and continue cooking until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and top each with 1 tablespoon of the Lemon-Parsley Butter. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges and serve. 

Lemon-Parsley Butter:

4-6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature (can be microwaved to soften)
1-2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

58 comments:

  1. I always order rainbow trout when it's on the menu. One of my fishing uncles used to call when the trout "were running". We'd go over for dinner and he'd plan to catch some trout shortly before preparing them. Most of the time he was successful. When the trout are really fresh, they curl up when they hit the heat and are oh so delicious. Our Whole Foods have trout and I'm saving your recipe.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  2. Love fish and this look delicious!

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  3. Delicate and delicious - lovely tutorial too. My Father-in-law has a trout stocked lake and pan frying has always been my preferred method of preparation.

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  4. I have not had trout in years...I miss eating it. Thanks, for posting this. Going to the market today to make it.

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  5. Love love this fish...thanks for the tutorial, great post! Hugs

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  6. I love trout but Bev says it's too fishy for her. Looks like a great way to good and serve it.

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  7. What a great idea to use a heavy griddle on your BBQ grill! I'm trying this one, now I just need to get my hands on some rainbow trout, oh and definitely with green beans on the side;-)

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  8. Have not had trout in many years. Thanks for sharing the tutorial.

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  9. Trout is one of my favorites as well. Very nice tutorial.

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  10. Looks delicious! We have been eating way more fish lately, I'll have to try this. I love the cast iron griddle on the grill, great (grate?) idea :)

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  11. We love trout...any kind. I have been buying steelhead at Costco the past year or so. The lemon butter sounds delicious...will be trying it next time I prepare the steelhead.

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  12. Can you just buy the trout fillets without me having to cut off a fish head?? LMAO (YUK)
    Looks and sounds delicious...lemon butter a great idea!

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  13. A lovely recipe , easy to make but tasty ! Thanks for sharing this tutorial Susan,have a good day, a warm hug...

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  14. The last time I had trout was many years ago when I caught it myself. That does need to change as I am able to find them at our local fishmongers and even sometimes at the grocery store.

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  15. My dad is the grillmaster in our family and he desperately needs this recipe under his belt! Sounds so delicious!

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  16. CAn you save these fish heads for me? Fish heads are full of flavor and great for stock to make a lebanese fish rice pilaf; love trout, it is so mild and delicate-tasting and your recipe is really the best; easy and delicious!

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  17. I had the hardest time while cleaning a fish a while back I really struggles but you make it look so easy, the trout looks delicious ans simple paired with those greens

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  18. What a great tutorial about one of my favourite fish; not always easy to find.Salmon is good but trout seems fresher and lighter. You;re right you need a good sharp boning knife to do the job. Love your griddle pan for the BBq.
    Rita

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  19. I love trout. When we open the cottage in Maine and get the grill out this will be one of the first things I make. I always keep a bag of garbage in the freezer...usually chicken bones and shrimp shells until trash day.

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  20. Susan this is perfect timing. Our fish source returned to our area today, and I visit him every Thursday for salmon. I'm sure he will have trout at some point, and I'll give it a try. I won't be freezing the heads. LOL

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  21. So neat! I wish I could fillet fish like this!!

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  22. What a lovely presentation Susan. We love trout and catch it regularly in the summer. Thanks for sharing your method of preparation. You've inspired me to share mine in the future months.

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  23. We enjoy salman and rainbow trout often too. My daughter first started enjoying salmon when she was quite young,and I stuck with that. Lately she is trying more and more. We try to get trout when it looks good at our fish market. Thanks for sharing how you prepare it. I have a cast iron giddle that would work good on our grill!
    Your dinner plate looks perfect!

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  24. I love grilled trout and will try your method. Looks delicious. Now here's the surprise for me; I'm looking at your sidebar and see several recipes for aebleskiever!
    Holy pancakes! I just found an old cast iron pan at an antiques sale and have been looking for recipes. That's good timing. I'll be back to give them a try. Can't wait for breakfast.

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  25. What a wonderful tutorial on grilling trout. We're lucky, we have a lake just a few miles from us that stock rainbows. The season just opened last weekend!

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  26. many congrats on your new baby boy grandchild and what a special day to be born with the planets and moon like that love it

    this trout looks amazing

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  27. This looks really delicious! Lemon Parsley Butter sounds yum! The skin, we would eat it too, really tasty with all the seasoning!! :)

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  28. Love rainbow trouts!! Sadly I can only find the frozen one over here. The grilled fillets look really fresh and tasty.

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  29. Perfect looking fish, Susan and a great way of grilling so it doesn't fall through the cracks but has all that great grill flavor. Trout is one of my favorite fish... esp in the spring... this is a perfect way to do it!!

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  30. Wonderful tutorial and your meal looks delicious! We love trout~ my husband is the fisherman and gets to do all those fun fish cleaning tasks :)

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  31. What an absolutely delicious looking trout! Love your clear tutorial, too. I have to try this for myself sometime. Thanks for sharing. Also, I’m having a great giveaway today with four potential prize winners, so you should enter!

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  32. Susan, thank you so much for the tutorial. I've just been thinking about fish, so your timing is perfect. We always ate a lot of fish when I was growing up the South because there were so many lakes, creeks, ponds, etc. I don't remember eating much trout, however, until I moved out West. It seems that trout is the only fish around here!

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  33. Grilled trout is such a treat and I have to admit that I've never prepared it at home. Your cast iron griddle is perfect for the job and I like that it can be grilled outside. Definitely on my to-do list, Susan.

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  34. Looks delicious!!!!
    We like to eat fish too. Salmon, trout, cod and sole are our favourites.
    And congrats to the little very sweet grandson!

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  35. I am totally impressed! That was a whole trout that you started with-wow. You took it whole fresh, to your plate. That rocks!
    I honestly cannot say that I have ever enjoyed trout. I will make sure not to pass up the opportunity.

    Cheers.
    Velva

    P.S. Congratulations on your new grandchild. I hear its like falling in love all over again.

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  36. I remember some delicious trout from my Michigan days! Great tutorial, Susan. The simpler the better with fish as far as I'm concerned. The fresh flavor says it all.

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  37. When we lived in the Black Forest area of Germany, a favourite spring restaurant meal was pan fried trout, tiny potatoes and white asparagus. My mouth waters at the thought!

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  38. Thanks for the step by step! I've been trying to get more in to using whole fish because I love the idea. I've just started cooking with trout too and I've been loving the flavor.

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  39. Very precise instructions on how to fillet the trout! I like simplicity of it. You get to taste the fish pure without any sauce distructions!

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  40. We love salmon and trout also. This is a fantastic way to prepare it and lemon butter is always a winner. Thanks for the tutorial on preparation. Trout can be intimidating. Thankfully my husband does the prep work on this, but I'm saving this just in case he's not home one night.
    Sam

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  41. The perfect meal~and now we all know how to prepare it! Many thanks for such a great blog!

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  42. Your meal looks postively lovely, Susan! It looks light and yet colorful and delicious...perfect for a Spring lenten meal.

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  43. Sorry I missed the post on your new grandson!!! Congrats, he's a handsome guy!

    I've never had trout, I think because I've heard that's it oily and I'm not a fan of oily foods, but I have to say, this looks delicious, and the additions of the green beans (a fav) make me want to give it a try!

    Have a wonderful week & congrats on that beautiful baby grandson!

    Mary

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  44. Susan -- what a great tutorial. I tend to avoid *whole* fish because I am not confident on breaking it down. I am going to give it a try :)

    Congratulations on that new grandson. I know you are over-the-moon :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  45. I appreciate this tutorial since that's the main reason I don't buy Rainbow Trout ... don't know what to do with it. Beautiful looking dish!

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  46. I love grilled fish! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  47. Hmmm...flat side of a cast iron griddle. Wonder if I can turn my ridged one upside down. Interesting idea for the more tender fish. Thanks for bringing this to Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  48. It looks beautiful, but you know how I feel about fish! And I live on an island a block from the source! I have tried it all different ways, but nope! Maybe when you like goat cheese! :)
    I remember someone on the CF saying it was because I never had it prepared properly. Pretty funny as my dad owned a waterfront restaurant specializing in seafood!

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  49. A wonderful tutorial! I'm in the middle of a book that takes place near a great trout fishing place in Ireland. It's been years since I've had trout; there just aren't too many place to fish in the middle of the desert!

    It looks wonderfl. Lemon and parsley are tow of my favorite things--and both of those grow in my garden!

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  50. I am so happy for this tutorial. I always trout already to go! I just love the idea of doing all the work myself.
    Beautiful and healthy meal!
    Yvonne

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  51. I love all kinds of fish, Susan, but I admit I don't eat as much trout as I'd like. I'm buying one the next time I visit my fishmonger, as your grilled trout looks so good I can almost taste it

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  52. The trout looks super tasty, and thanks for adding a tutorial. I had trout last week when we dined out and it was delish, glad to knwo I can easily make it at home!

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  53. Nice tutorial Susan, and I give you a lot of credit in doing this from the whole trout...beautiful and healthy meal...like you I too enjoy trout a lot.
    Thanks for the nice tutorial and hope you are having a wonderful week :)

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  54. Congratulations Grandma! He's adorable and a cute addition to the family!

    The trout looks delicious and I'm so glad to see this post about it! Years ago, I bought a package of frozen trout and when I opened and saw the head and eyes, it went straight down the disposal. Our store here is starting to carry trout periodically so this is a great recipe to refer to. Thanks!

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  55. Hi Susan!

    Add me to the list of folks who ALWAYS order trout if its on the menu...esp. trout almondine! Yum! I have never attempted to make it at home...probably because I've never seen it in the grocery store.

    You can bury the fish heads & stuff about 6" down & then plant your tomato plants on top. I hear they are great for them.

    Thanks for the recipe & explanation on how to grill the fish. It looks really yummy!

    Hugs,
    Rett

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  56. In my mind, cooking fish is a lot of work, which is why I don't often do it. This actually looks pretty easy.

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  57. You guys are lucky to be close to the source of very good fish. I love the delicate flavor and texture of trout. I'm inspired to get a cast iron pan for the grill, it looks so easy.

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  58. You are always so good with fish! I have to say that when we were first married my husband would bring home tons of trout from his backpacking trips and I actually canned it with a pressure canner - not a pretty sight through the mason jars, but it tasted pretty good (like tuna). I am glad he doesn't do that anymore. I would rather have it grilled!

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