Trout is a popular fish to eat for many seafood-lovers. Cooking trout can be a very simple process and there many recipes for preparing this type of fish for a meal. Different seasonings and rubs can be used to fit to your personal tastes. This flexibility is one of the great things about the process, and anyone can learn how to cook trout well.

Trout are fish in the Salmonidae family and are close relatives of salmon.c There are different kinds of trout, including rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and tiger trout.c Brook trout are the most typically cooked and eaten by fish-lovers, although all types are edible. Most trout can be found in various lakes or streams.c 

This family of fish can be fun to catch, relatively inexpensive to buy and healthy to eat. But it's also easy and quick to cook! There are a few basic ways to cook trout and the hardest part will be to decide which recipe you wish to try. This article will walk you through all of these steps, including how to prepare and cook this versatile fish.

As more and more Americans strive to make healthy changes in their diets, they are hearing from nutritionists that fish is a great choice for a tasty, nutritious meal. Moreover, trout itself offers a number of specific benefits.c 

Trout includes many heart-healthy vitamins, minerals and high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.c It is inexpensive, or free if you catch it yourself and is low in fat and high in protein. Trout also cooks very quickly, compared to red meat.c

For many fishing enthusiasts, there is nothing tastier than a freshly-caught trout. Catching the trout may be the fun part for most people, but preparing the trout for cooking is not nearly as messy as you might think.c 

Gutting the Fish

First you need to remove the digestive tract of the fish. To do so:

1. Starting at the anal opening, use a knife and cut upwards (towards the head) and away from the fish.c
2. Continue cutting until you reach the gills
3. Grasp the head with your free hand and your thumb through the throat of the fish, underneath the bottom jaw.c
4. Tug down firmly along the bottom side of the fish. The entrails should now be cleanly removed from the fish, all in a single mass.c

Finally, starting at the anal fin, cut open the belly of the trout and remove the guts from the cavity.c c Catch them in a newspaper for easy disposal.c 

Trimming the Fish

1. Rinse the fish off with clean, cold water. Do not scrub it, since trout have a jelly-like cover that allows them to be breaded without using any type of liquid.c
2. Remove the head by cutting in a v-shape, towards the mouth. Use the line of the gills to guide you.c
3. Cut off the pectoral fins on both sides of the fish.c

Butterflying Trout 

If you want to prepare your trout in attractive fillets, you can use a simple but elegant technique called butterflying.c

To butterfly your trout:

1. Place the trout stomach-up on a cutting board.c
2. Turning your knife upside-down (blade facing up), slide it along the backbone and cut up.c
3. Turn the knife back over and cut down along the backbone. Cut all the way to the tail.
4. Repeat this process on the other side of the trout.
5. You will end up with two sides of the meat flat on the cutting board, and the rib cage sticking up in the middle.
6. Now, remove the rib cage by cutting underneath it.
7. Finally, you will want to remove the bones still remaining in the two sections of meat. You can feel them with your fingers. Try to remove them without cutting through the skin.c
8. Detach the backbone from the tail using a knife, or break it by hand. Don't pull too hard when you remove the backbone. It can be removed cleanly with smooth, gentle tugging.

NOTE: Butterflying is especially useful when you want to bake your trout.

• Trout fishing is a popular sport, and most people love to catch, cook and eat their own fish. However, many people also choose to buy fresh or frozen trout. Here's what to look for when buying fresh or frozen trout:c

Fresh Trout

1. The trout should have a clean smell. Newly-caught freshwater fish should smell vaguely like cucumbers.
2. The skin should still be shining and attractive. The glisten of a fish's scales indicates how long ago it was caught.
3. The flesh should be firm to the touch.Press on it with your finger and if an indentation stays on the fish, it's not very fresh.
4. The gills should be bright red. If the fish has been laying out for a while, the gills will be a faded red, like the color of old bricks.

• Make trout the last purchase on your list, and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Fresh trout should be cooked and eaten within two days.c

Frozen Trout

1. The trout should be rock hard.
2. The package should not have any visible ice crystals, which are evidence that the fish may have been thawed and refrozen.
3. The trout should have no white spots, which indicates freezer burn.
4. There should be no signs of any thawed juices.
5. The package should be clean and tightly sealed.

• Frozen trout can be stored for up to three months, at a temperature of 0°F or below.c

Small Pan Fried Trout

• If your trout is small enough, you can pan fry the whole thing.c

1. Cut off the head and gut the fish, as outlined above.
2. Roll the trout in flour. For extra flavor, mix your flour with cornmeal and preferred herbs and spices.
3. Place the entire fish in a frying pan and fry it at medium to medium-high heat.
4. The trout is ready when the skin is golden brown and the flesh is firm and flaky. If you left bones in the fish, the backbone should come out easily once the fish has been thoroughly cooked.

Baked Trout

• Baked trout is a popular method of cooking that takes advantage of trout's high protein content without introducing too many calories from fat.c

1. Butterfly the trout.
2. To keep the fish from drying out while baking, coat the outside surfaces with a little bit of oil.
3. Dust the surface of the fish with a light coating of spices. Baked trout recipes often also include stuffing and sauce to enhance the appearance and flavor of the dish.c
4. Heat your oven to between 350 and 375 degrees F.
5. Bake until the fish is fork-tender.c It should take about 20-25 minutes.c

Grilled Trout

• Grilling trout is just as healthy as baking, and can be even be done over a campfire.c The preparation steps will be similar to baked trout.

1. Coat the fish lightly in oil
2. Start your grill at medium-high, or wait until your coals burn down to white-hot ash.
3. Fillets should finish grilling in about 8 minutes, and whole fish in about 12.c When grilling stuffed fish, cook for 10 minutes, per each inch of thickness.c
4. Flip the fish halfway into cooking. Use a thin spatula and flip the fish very carefully. The meat will be very delicate as it starts to cook, and prone to splitting open.c