Cleaning/Fileting/Cooking Trout

[youngdumbandfulloffish]

I'm usually a catch and release guy but this year I had some buddies with me that I hadn't seen in awhile and figured why not keep a few and have some beers and a light(very light dinner). I didn't butcher them but there were still bones and did lose a little meat.

Any advice for next time is appreciated. Also feel free to share your recipes

[Lard Almighty]

Those 10-12 inch fish are tough to fillet, I usually just bake them whole with butter, white wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Once they are cooked the meat should flake right off the bones.

[Mark B.]

Grilled Trout Recipe

Items Needed:

Heavy duty aluminum foil
Butter
Onions (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
Salt and pepper
Trout of any size

Procedure:

Cut out a sheet of foil twice the size of the fish, and lay the foil flat.
Put several small trout or one big trout (cleaned with skin on) in the center of the foil, and fold the sides up into a rectangular shape.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter for every 4 inches of trout. Add half a sliced medium onion, half a cup of sliced mushrooms.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Fire up the grill to high temperature, and place the foil enclosed trout on the grill. Cook for approximately 20 minutes.
Fish is ready to be taken off when the flesh is whitish in color.
Take the fish out of the foil using a spatula, place it on a plate and use the fork to peel away the skin. After this is done, use the fork to slowly separate the meat from the bones.

Enjoy!

[Chrisper4694]

here's my advice...because stocked trout can be done very wrong, to the point it tastes like how river mud smells. if you want to play it safe just gut it and clean the blood line against the spine very well! scrape it and rinse it multiple times. cut the head off, done preparing. throw it in a bag of lemon juice and whatever else you like (i use Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, pepper, too) let it sit for a day or two. now when you go to cook it all those flavors will be in there good and you wont have to worry about it tasting bland or like river mud.

if you really want to cook them that same day you catch them, don't shy back on the spices, olive oil or butter, onions, garlic, whatever lay it in there the trout can handle it. I found out the hard way, flip it half way through or you'll have the bottom side tasting good and the top side tasting bland haha.

[NJSquatch]

I am a huge fan of smoking the stockies. I do a flash brine (water, kosher salt, cajun spices) for an hour or so and then putting them on a charcoal water smoker. Takes about an hour at 275 to get the fish to 140. I even got the wife to eat em this way! HA

[hookset]

My father is a big fan of the trout done with flour, egg, breadcrumd, like a fish fry! I personally like it on the grill as many have said! Gut it, cut the head off, place in foil with oil butter garlic and salt, grill for 15 minutes on a nice high heat and eat! Skin peels right off and meat falls off bone! A little more messy to eat but no waste!!!!

[acabtp]

Originally Posted by NJSquatch

I do a flash brine (water, kosher salt, cajun spices) for an hour or so

interesting. can you tell us more about this flash brining vs a regular brine? more salt?

i usually do a maple/rosemary/lemon brine for 8+ hours

[NJSquatch]

Originally Posted by acabtp

interesting. can you tell us more about this flash brining vs a regular brine? more salt?
i usually do a maple/rosemary/lemon brine for 8+ hours

Here is my recipe for the brine.

2 Cups Water
2 TBS Kosher Salt
1 TBS Cajun Seasoning

This will make enough to brine 3-4 stockies.

Much longer than 2 hours and the fish will be too salty.

Have also played with adding some white wine, pepper, soy sauce, juices, etc