Someone that is going to catch and cook brook trout is not normally well thought of in the fly shops across the south. These are beloved fish and many people want to keep as many as possible in the streams. Which, I can’t blame them for.
However, as long as you follow creel limits and other state regs then there’s a good chance the populations will be just fine. So, if you and your friends have caught a bunch of brook trout and want to take some home for supper then check out the recipes below.
Fried Brook Trout
Frying fish in cornmeal is a classic southern recipe. Although it’s usually set aside for bream, catfish, and even bass. You shouldn’t let that stop you though because trout can be just as good cooked up this way.
Ingredients
- Cornmeal
- Slef Rising Flour
- S&P
- Cayenne
- Paparika
- Garlic Poweder
- Frying oil (peanut, canola, vegetable) or Lard
- Brook Trout Filets
Steps
- Mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cornmeal into a bowl. Add a tsp of the remainder of the dry ingredients into the flour and cornmeal mixture. Mix ingredients together in a bowl.
- Rinse the trout inside and out and then dab dry with a towel.
- Toss trout in breading. Coating the outside but not the inside.
- Heat oil or lard over medium heat. Roll some of the cornmeal and flour mixture into a small ball and drop into oil after a few minutes. If it begins to gently bubble and sizzle then oil is ready.
- Cook fish for 5-7 mins each side. Don’t be afraid to flip a few times if you need to and check to make sure the fish is not burning after a minute.
- If you’re not sure then take a fork and flake off some fish to see if it’s done.
Don’t worry about eating this fish with the bones in. All you need to do is scrape down starting at the spine and the meat will flake right off of the bone. As with eating all fish, you should still be careful and always be cautious when serving bony fish to children.
Baked Brook Trout
This recipe is best used in an oven where you can control the temperature perfectly. However, you could also do this over a campfire or even on a grill.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Trout
- Lemon
- Parsley
- S&P
Steps
- Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
- Clean the trout by butterflying it
- Cut heavy duty aluminum foil slightly larger than the size of the fish.
- Lightly oil both sides of the fish. Then, season the fish inside and out. Place two parsley sprigs and two lemon wedges inside the caity of the trout.
- Gently fold the foil together and crimp the edges to make a packet.
- Cook on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Check at the 10 mnute mark to see if one filet is done. The meat will easily flake off when finished.
- When done, carefully open the foil so that th steam does not burn you. Then slide the fish onto a plate with the remianing juices inside
Serve this with salad, fresh vegetables, rice, or another sort of starchy carb. A little red pepper can give this recipe some kick.
Grilled Brook Trout
With this recipe, you can either cook brook trout over a campfire or at home with either a charcoal or propane grill.
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Trout that have been cleaned
- TBS Olive Oil
- S&P Pinch of each
- 1 Lemon
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 sprigs of thyme
Steps
- Preheat your grill to high heat and then oil the grate
- Oil the outside of each trout and then seaosn inside and out with S&P
- Place half of the onion, rosemary, thyme, garlic and lemon inside the cavity of each trout.
- Turn the heat on the gril down to low and cook the trout on each side for 6-7 minutes.
- You will only flip the trout one time.
- Once the meat flakes easily then it is done cooking
Final Thoughts
These are three of the most popular ways you can cook brook trout. What’s your favorite recipe? Let me know in the comments below.
