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

Rainbow Trout Amandine with Lemon-Butter and Parsley

Keeping my determination to eat light and healthy for the next couple of weeks, I prepared another favorite fish of ours - rainbow trout. We are very fortunate to have locally raised rainbow trout that is the preference of many restaurants in our area and is also sold by the best fish markets. I recently found a new preparation for it that is so delicious that my husband has again declared my preparation better than the trout at our favorite restaurant. Can you see me smiling?

This recipe isn't much different from most trout preparations but there are just a few things that make it really special - the first, being the addition of corn meal to the flour for dusting. There is no egg wash step and the addition of shallots and thyme give it a wonderful taste.

I found this particular recipe in Gordon Hamersley's Bistro Cooking at Home cook book. This is the second recipe I have tried from his book and I've been very happy with both.

I served the trout with oven-roasted asparagus which I lightly coated in olive oil, salt & pepper and roasted in a 400 degree oven for six minutes while I was preparing the fish. 

The original recipe did not call for almonds but it's such a wonderful, traditional combination with trout that I incorporated them into my preparation. However, if you can't eat nuts or dislike them, feel free with leave them out. It will still be delicious.

The fish is crispy on the outside and light and flaky on the inside.  The lemon, butter and parsley add just the right sparkle of flavor to the dish. I don't eat the skin but my husband loves it!

Shop my favorite fish spatula HERE! (Affiliate Link)

Shop my favorite frying pans for fish HERE! (Affiliate Link)

Rainbow Trout Amandine with Lemon-Butter and Parsley

Inspired by ‘Bistro Cooking’ by Gordon Hamersley
Printable Recipe

Serves 2-4 depending on the size of the trout and your appetite for fish! My husband can eat 2 whole trout easily.

4 whole rainbow trout (I have the whole fish cut into fillets when I purchase them but it's easy enough to do on your own), rinsed under cold water
1 tablespoon shallot, very finely diced (Tip: I keep a jar of Penzey’s Freeze Dried Shallots in my pantry)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or ¼-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme - crushed)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons slivered or sliced almonds

Use your two largest sauté pans (12" or larger) in order to prepare all the fillets at the same time. You should be able to fit 4 fillets in each pan if you're making this entire recipe.

In a dish large enough to fit the trout, mix the flour and cornmeal, season with a dash of salt and pepper and add the finely minced shallots and thyme. Stir to combine. Press the trout fillets into flour mixture and pat onto both sides to adhere as much as possible. (This step can be done several hours ahead. Place the seasoned and floured fillets on a large plate in one layer. Use a piece of waxed paper or parchment and add the second layer of floured fillets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to prepare.)

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter in each large pan over medium-high heat. When the butter stops bubbling, place half of the fillets in each pan, skin side down. Sauté for about 3 minutes, watching carefully so that they don’t burn but they should be nicely browned. Turn the fillets over and cook them for about 3 minutes more. Transfer the fish to a warm platter while making the sauce.

Wipe out one of the pans with a paper towel and place it over medium heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and cook over high heat until it stops bubbling and turns a nutty brown. Add the sliced or slivered almonds and stir until just barely toasted. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the pan to cool for a few seconds. Add the lemon juice, parsley and a little salt and pepper and shake the pan to combine. Pour over the trout fillets and serve immediately.

Be prepared for compliments:-)