It’s not often that I can say I wish I had less fish in my diet, but this week that’s what I’ve been saying. My kids went fishing over the weekend with their brother and brought home a gallon-sized freezer bag of fresh rainbow and brook trout. Even for a fish lover like me, that’s an awful lot of fish to go through.
Luckily all of the fish came to me cleaned.
With fish this fresh, I didn’t have the heart to do much to them at all. The flavor of freshly caught fish is something that requires little or nothing to make it perfect. Because trout can be eaten in its entirety, I simply floured the fish and fried it in a nice hot wok.
The boys didn’t even flinch. The fish was gone in minutes.
It really does taste better when you catch it yourself.
As for the rest of the fish in my fridge, you’ll just have to come back in a few days to see what direction I’m going with them. I’m sure you’ll like it.
- 2 to 4 whole trout, cleaned (about 1 lb each)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon, peppers and green onions, as garnish
- Vegetable or peanut oil. Enough to cover 1/4 inch of pan or 3/4 inch of wok. (Roughly 1/2 cup in my case)
- Mix together salt, pepper and flour in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a wok or frying pan large enough to accommodate the fish. oil should reach approximately 325 degrees.
- Lightly dredge as many fish as will fit in your pan with flour. Shake off any excess. Carefully place fish in pan and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn carefully and cook an additional 1-1/2 minutes. Remove and place on paper towels to drain
- Allow to rest 5 minutes and serve with lemon wedges, slices sweet peppers and green onions.
- Share and Enjoy!
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
I would have added some Cajun seasoning to the flour for some kick. Otherwise it really doesn’t get any better than this.
Links to other recipes like this:
- Pan Fried Rainbow Trout, from Morsels and Musings
- The most simple grilled rainbow trout ever, from foodandwineblog.com
Thanks for dropping by our kitchen. We're dishing up great food, some laughs and a really great cup of coffee. 
I love your blog and appreciate all of the links.
Bookmarked! I’ll be back :-)
Glad you like it. i enjoy linking to other blogs, it helps get them a few visits and showcases talents people may not have seen before. Totally worth an extra few minutes at the end of a post.
Who cares if it was “right” All that matters is that you enjoyed it!
Thanks for an interesting blog. I am going to try this recipe.
Yesterday I was presented with freshly caught rainbow trout (cleaned/scaled). I found your cooking method after abandoning the idea that I could competently fillet them. I used four and finely ground cornmeal with salt to dust. I didn’t have any lemons or I would have made a lemon butter sauce. It was not missed. The fish easily released from the bone after cooking. Clean, delicate, delicious. Thanks for presenting this method. I highly recommend it.
Leisa,
I find this is just about the best way to cook small fish. It keeps them moist, tender, and juicy, all without the risk of screwing up the fillets!