Trout

Name: Trout — freshwater fish of the salmon family, including the brown trout (Salmo trutta), the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and other species such as brook and lake trout. They are prized by anglers and cooks, and have delicate, pink-white to orange flesh. Rainbow trout has its own page.

Description

Trout live in cold, clean rivers and lakes across the Northern Hemisphere, and were introduced to many other regions, partly for sport fishing. Brown trout is the classic European trout, central to British fly fishing, and rainbow trout are the species most farmed for food. Sea trout are brown trout that migrate to the sea, and have a silvery coat and a rich, salmon-like flesh.

Trout has a delicate, slightly nutty, sweet flavour, and is usually cooked whole and simply, since it is small. It is easy to prepare, and pan-fried trout with butter and almonds is a classic. Wild trout needs care for parasites.

Main nutrition value

Trout is an oily fish, and a rich source of the long-chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and protein. It is typically lower in fat than salmon, and generally low in mercury.

How best to be consumed

Trout is best cooked simply, and quickly.

1. Pan-fry whole trout in butter for 4 to 5 minutes per side, with lemon and almonds.
2. Bake in foil with herbs, lemon and white wine, or grill over charcoal.
3. Smoke it, or flake into salads, pasta and pâté.
4. Cook through to 63°C, and watch for the fine pin bones.
5. Buy fresh, whole fish with bright eyes, and gut it soon after buying.

Overconsumption could cause…

Trout is healthy in food amounts.

1. Fish allergy, which can be severe and is usually lifelong, so anyone allergic must avoid fish and check labels, including fish in sauces and dressings.
2. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since fish and shellfish are moderately high in purines.
3. Environmental contaminants such as PCBs and dioxins, which build up in the fat of oily fish, so eating a variety of fish and trimming skin and fat can help, and the benefits of oily fish generally outweigh the risks for most people.
4. Parasites, such as tapeworm and flukes, in wild freshwater trout that is raw or undercooked, so cook it thoroughly or freeze it first.
5. Contamination in fish from polluted rivers and lakes, so check local advice for wild-caught trout.

GroupsOily FishFinfishHigh proteinLow sodiumRich in omega-3Rich in vitamin B12Rich in vitamin DFresh

Made intoCanned Trout

Related foodsFresh TunaRainbow TroutSpanish MackerelHerringAnchoviesSalmon

Wikipedia — Trout, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout