Colorful Veggies to Pair with Rainbow Trout

This mild, delicate, tender, and flaky fish is perfectly paired with a kaleidoscope of vegetables. 

Whether you’re new to the culinary wonders of rainbow trout or a trout aficionado. We’ve picked our three favorite rainbow trout cooking methods; pan-fried, grilled, and baked, and assembled some simple cooking instructions as well as some super tasty vegetable pairings. 

Pan Fried or Pan Seared Trout 

Pan frying or pan searing is one of the most popular cooking methods for rainbow trout. The result is a crispy, caramelized, skin and golden brown flesh, absolutely delicious. Start off with a large well preheated skillet (medium-high to high heat), you want this pan sizzling hot. Pick a relatively neutral oil that works well with high heat cooking, like avocado oil, peanut oil, canola, or vegetable oil. Place the trout fillet, skin side down, into the skillet and sear for about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat and add in additional ingredients or aromatics to the pan (butter, wine, garlic, shallots, herbs, etc…), letting the residual heat cook those additions (only for about 1 minute) and, simultaneously, infusing the trout with flavor. Remove the trout from the skillet to rest briefly before serving. 

High heat calls for quick cooking vegetables. These veggies will cook to a tender-crisp while the trout rests; tri-colored baby bell peppers, green beans, snap peas, and asparagus. 

Grilled Trout 

There are two different grilling methods I like to use when cooking trout; direct grilling and foil pouch grilling. 

For high heat, direct grilling (meaning you’re placing the fish right over the heat source or hot coals) I first like to make sure my grill grates are clean and lightly oiled. I also liberally brush my trout with oil, even if it has been marinated before hand. Direct heat grilling is timed much like our pan-fried method, around 2 minutes per side or, in this case, until the trout is tender with light charring. 

For the foil pouch method, I turn the heat down a little on my grill with only one side of the grill producing the heat source (the other side is off and where I place the pouches), medium to medium-low. I season or marinate my trout, making sure to give it a thorough brushing with oil, and loosely wrap in aluminum foil, being sure to seal the edges to trap the steam inside. The pouch method takes a little longer than direct grilling, about 10-15 minutes. 

Grilling calls for breaking out the ‘big’ veggies. I love a mixture of thick squash slices, halved baby eggplants, portobello mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower. 

Baked Trout

Baked trout opens up all sorts of creative culinary opportunities. Whether the trout is stuffed with tasty vegetables or baked on a bed of roasting veggies, there are oodles of ways to boost flavor and nutrition. Leafy greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard, arugula, etc…) can be paired with nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc…), citrus, and herbs for a fragrant and healthy stuffing option. Place stuffed trout on a wire rack lined roasting pan or baking sheet, and lightly brush with oil or melted butter. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until the trout is tender and cooked through. 

For baked trout, sans stuffing, forgo the wire rack, and nestle the seasoned trout on top of a bed of diced or sliced fall vegetables; butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, beets, broccoli rabe, fennel, or leeks. Since the trout will bake quickly (15-20 minutes), start cooking the vegetables ahead of time, about 10-15 minutes before adding the trout so everything will be tender and ready to serve at the same time. 

Treat yourself to some Rainbow Trout 

Order rainbow trout fresh from the farm, fish so fresh it is still swimming when you place your order! We receive our rainbow trout from our partner fisheries and package it the very same day, optimizing for freshness and never ever sacrificing quality. Customize your trout shipment by getting it cut to order with either head-on or head-off filets. 

Show us your rainbow trout love! We’re always looking for fellow fans of excellent seafood. Share your creations with us on any of our social media platforms. We can be found @cameronsseafoodonline on Instagram or @CameronsSeafood on Facebook.

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