| Rainbow trout have a fascinating life story. | | | | safely. Let cool for a few moments. |
| You don't need to know it to enjoy cooking | | | | |
| and eating this tender-fleshed fish, but I | | | | 4. Open foil, season with salt and pepper to |
| find that brushing up on my food facts makes | | | | taste, and enjoy. |
| me feel more connected with the things that I | | | | |
| put in my body and that sustain me and give | | | | Note: You can eat around the bones, but a |
| me pleasure. | | | | better approach is to remove them entirely |
| | | | before digging in. Using a fork, just pull |
| Rainbow trout are actually a type of Pacific | | | | the the fish's back meat in one direction and |
| salmon. Their native home is the rivers that | | | | the belly meat in the other, and you can |
| feed into the northern Pacific Ocean in both | | | | remove the bones in one piece. |
| Asia and North America, but they have been | | | | |
| introduced to countries throughout the world. | | | | Filled Pan-Fried Rainbow Trout |
| They are one of the fish species that are | | | | |
| widely farmed today as a relatively cheap | | | | Ingredients |
| protein source for much of the world's | | | | |
| population. | | | | 4 cleaned and scaled whole trout |
| | | | |
| Some people know rainbow trout as "redband | | | | 1 cup pine nuts, ground finely or almost to |
| trout." Interestingly, the same fish has an | | | | powder |
| entirely different name--steelhead--when | | | | |
| found in the ocean, or when it returns from | | | | 1/4 cup raisins |
| the sea for spawning. The steelhead form | | | | |
| looks quite different from the rainbow or | | | | 1/2 cup finely chopped prunes |
| redband form, too, most significantly in that | | | | |
| it loses its distinctive red bed along its | | | | 1/4 cup white wine |
| sides. | | | | |
| | | | 2 cups fresh bread crumbs |
| Like other salmon, rainbow trout are good | | | | |
| nutrition-wise. They are rich in omega three | | | | Salt |
| fatty acids, which have been shown to lower | | | | |
| cholesterol levels. Omega three fatty acids | | | | Coarsely ground black pepper |
| have more recently been shown to help combat | | | | |
| depression in people. Rainbow trout also have | | | | 2 teaspoons chopped parsley or parsley flakes |
| low fat but high levels of protein, vitamin | | | | |
| A, vitamin D and various minerals. | | | | 1 tablespoon olive oil |
| | | | |
| | | | Directions |
| | | | |
| Easy Charcoal-Cooked Rainbow Trout | | | | 1. Mix pine nuts, raisins, prunes, bread |
| | | | crumbs and wine together. |
| You can do this in a charcoal grill or on the | | | | |
| hot coals of a campfire! | | | | 2. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in |
| | | | parsley. |
| 1. Rinse whole (cleaned) fish in cold water. | | | | |
| Stuff with onion slices and lemon wedges. | | | | 3. Press mixture into the cavity of each |
| | | | fish. Hold fish and mixture together with |
| 2. Wrap fish in aluminum foil. Lay the | | | | toothpicks. |
| foil-wrapped fish directly on hot charcoal or | | | | |
| hot coals. Cook 7 minutes; turn the fish | | | | 4. Heat olive oil in skillet. Fry fish in hot |
| over and cook 6 or 7 minutes on the other | | | | oil for 4 minutes per side. |
| side. | | | | |
| | | | 5. Remove trout to a plate lined with paper |
| 3. Carefully remove fish (still in foil) from | | | | towel. Allow excess oil to drain off. |
| the coals; you may need tongs to do this | | | | Transfer fish to serving plates. |