Fried Trout

About Cooking Trout as Whole Fried Fish

Our fried trout recipe is inspired by the classic preparation of the German culinary tradition - simple and fast. We often make it in summer and around Oktoberfest in solidarity with the memories of Bavarian trout we have enjoyed over the years when visiting that part of Germany.

Pan-fried whole trout tends to be more delicious and more fun to serve than trout fillets. It is also a more cost effective way to delight in the fish. With the abundance of fresh, farm-raised trout sold cleaned and ready to cook at stores like Costco and the Kroger family of brands you can feed four to five people for a nominal price.

Ingredients

Whole trout. Usually it is sold just as you see it above. Head still on but slit across the belly and completely cleaned. We show you how to further prepare it for cooking below.

Lemon. Fresh lemon slices are stuffed inside each fish to lend it flavor and a bit of extra scented moisture during pan-frying.

Flour, salt and pepper. A mix of all-purpose flour, kosher salt and pepper is used to dredge the whole trout in so that the skin becomes extra crispy and flavorful when pan-fried.

Cooking oil. Sunflower oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil are all suitable.

Parsley. Fresh parsley is a perfect garnish for fried trout, you can also use fresh oregano or chives.

How to Prepare Whole Trout for Frying

1. Begin by removing the heads by cutting just above (towards the body) the collar bones. This is best done with sturdy kitchen scissors. You do not need to cook the trout with the head attached unless you really want to. Optional - you may also choose to clip the gills and the tail, we like to leave them as they get so crispy and eat like 'fish chips'.
2. Next, rinse the trout under cold water, be sure to wash away any remaining inside impurities, then pat it dry with a paper towel both on the inside and the outside.

How to Pan-Fry Trout with Skin

1. Slice a lemon, remove the seeds, and prepare a seasoned flour mixture for coating the skin.
2. Next stuff each trout with three or four lemon slices and dredge it in the flour mixture, making sure it sticks nicely all over the fish outside.

Once the trout is ready for cooking, turn your attention to the frying process.

1. Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to barely cover the surface of the pan.
2. Fry the trout for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, carefully flipping over with the help of a fish spatula and another kitchen utensil. Add a bit more oil, as needed, once you flip, then fry for another 3 minutes.
3. Fry larger fish a bit longer. You are looking for a deep golden brown to brown coloring, depending on the type of trout you are cooking.
4. Serve the fried trout garnished with finely chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices.

NOTE: Fry two similarly sized trout at a time or a large one by itself. If you need to keep cooked fish warm in the interim before you are done with all your trout place them over a wire rack fitted over a baking sheet in a 200 F warm oven (plan ahead).

How to Remove the Bone

If you are presenting a large fried trout to be shared by two or more people you can remove the bone prior to inviting everyone to serve themselves. Otherwise, if serving one smaller fish per person allow each diner to remove the bone from their own fish.

In both cases all you have to do is

• Slightly open up the flesh in the center between the two fillets at the very top where the collar bone was removed.

• You will notice the thicker backbone that begins to run in the middle down the length of the body.

• Lift it up with your fingers and while holding the fish slightly open with a fork or a knife gently pull up the bone and move your hand down towards the tail end.

The thick middle bone and all small ones emanating from it will easily come off on both sides. Once you discard them inspect the inside of the fish for remaining smaller bones in each fillet and remove any that you notice.

NOTE: When eating whole fried trout always be congnizant of the fact that a small bone could have remained in the tender flesh.

Serving Suggestions

Fried trout is compatible with a range of side dishes commonly paired with it in Germany. Try it with your preferred version of Bavarian warm potato salad, fresh green salads or cucumber salad, German boiled potatoes with butter and parsley, potato dumplings or simply fries and a cold German lager.

NOTE: This dish is also known as Forelle Müllerin if you drizzle butter sauce like this Garlic Herb Butter over the trout.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover fried trout in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To reheat the trout add a bit of olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, then add the trout and cover with a lid. In a couple of minutes it will be warmed through.