One of our employees gave us 7 baby trout. I dipped them in flour, and cooked them in butter over fairly low heat. They stuck to the pan, and I lost a fair amount of their skin. I also had trouble getting the main bone out of them.
They tasted OK, but not very attractive to serve.

Anyone have suggestions on how to cook trout?

What you did was right. Was the butter well heated and bubbling (on the verge of browning) before you put the trout in?

Another way is to bake in coarse salt. My guests served it this way last week (yeah, our guests cooked for US!! She is a Norwegian chef). Now mind you, they were medium sized trout, not baby. But she used a good 5 cups of course salt, burying the fish inside the salt. For three medium sized trout, she baked them at about 375 for 20 minutes. You need to pour hot water over the salt before putting them in the oven (the salt needs to surround the trout--pout salt in a baking dish, then place the trout, then cover with salt, then pour hot water, about half a cup, over the whole thing).

The result is that the trout stay perfect, are not salty at all (you remove the skin) and the meat is more tender than you can believe.

..and serving is neat and clean.

Marion, sounds like the pan wasn't hot enough, otherwise it would not have stuck. I would do it on medium to medium high heat depending on the size of the fish and put in the pan and leave it alone don't move it until it sears on that side, it should move easily once its seared then flip it..

Pan fried trout is great but oven roasting at a pretty high oven temp like 425 degrees is good and easy.

I don't like the flavor or texture of Trout at all. I know it sounds crazy but I think I read or saw on Discovery that in the life cycle of this fish at some critical juncture they can either become a trout or a Salmon. I don't like Salmon either.


Ginger

Ginger, yes well its true if you like one you normally like the other or vice verse. Its funny because growing up in the Pac NW, where Salmon and Trout for that matter abounds, my parents hated fish and somehow I adore it.

Is that for real? Some critical juncture, it turns from a trout into a salmon? Hee, tell me more.

My husband bakes a large trout in damp newspaper in the oven - when you pull off the newspaper the skin comes with it and the fish is beautifully moist. Much the same idea as baking it in salt, I think.

I can't remember where I saw that little tidbit of information about Trout. I tried to google it but I could be all wet.

My favorite fish are fat Sunfish and Rock Bass, Blue Gill and Perch. They are a clean, sweet tasting white firm fleshed fish. I haven't had any in years.

Ginger

Well, Steelhead trout are part of the "salmonid" family that migrate out to sea. Sometimes they are called plain steelhead, sometimes steelhead salmon. I did read somewhere also that once a certain kind of salmon migrate to the sea, they become something else. Maybe steelhead ?

As for trout, we got brave on day & tried it, and now BBQ them. Fill cavity with lemon slices & olive oil, let sit in olive oil for an hour, put on BBQ. Skin crisps up & is easy to remove. Simple & delish. I have had new appreciation for grilled fish since Italy.

The pictures I posted are of trota salmonata, or salmon trout, a hybrid of both. I don't know the birds and bees side of how these fish get together, but the result is mighty tasty. Very popular in Italy.

Growing up in the Missouri Ozarks, rainbow trout was one of our most commonly available fish. maybe that is why I do love it.

My favorite way to enjoy baby trout is as an appetizer plate.
Smoked and served cold with a creamy dill sauce. YUMMMY

Diane, I'm going to try the salt baking method for a larger trout next weekend.

Thanks for all the excellent ideas on how to cook trout.

My pan (and the butter) wasn't hot enough; and I didn't use enough butter.

I may try Diana's salt-baked suggestion. The pictures are lovely!

It is pouring rain here in Quebec City and has been raining since early this morning. If it clears, perhaps I'll get a gift of more river caught trout to cook next week.

Marion

Nicolletta my italian amici just seasons with lemon pepper, sticks a couple of slices of lemon in the belly and bakes it. Clean, fresh taste, lovely. Like you not a big trout fan but I like it prepared that way.

I like trout almondine. I dip pieces of boned trout in flour, egg wash and panko breadcrumbs then fry in a teflon pan with a small amount of 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 canola oil over a med/high heat. No burning problems with the oil.

For the almondine, I place thinly sliced almonds on a baking tray and toast in the oven for a few minutes. In a small frying pan I melt butter, add fresh lemon juice, a tad of white wine and then the toasted almonds. I don't measure unless I absolutely have to so use your own judgment for the almondine ingredients. After everything is blended pour over the fish and you have a delicious piece of trout.

Carole

I would love to buy trout already deboned but I have never seen it in the store and am definately not skilled enough to debone it myself...

lesfaye,

I've seen deboned pink trout at Whole Foods. Do you have one near you?

I get it at Bristol Farms, Whole Foods or our local seafood market. I would not want to deal with bones. Remember what happened to Mamma Cass but wasn't that a chicken bone. Anyway, a bone is a bone!!!

Carole

Yes I do, yes I do, although I have not been in in yet! Fabulous, I am so excited, watch they won't have it in stock...

I've had the staff at the fish counter fillet trout for me. They can also butterfly it so that you can bake it stuffed. I find there are still a lot of small bones but it still is great. I've thought about taking a pair of tweezers to the fillets to get rid of the remaining small bones. QFC or Whole Foods can do it for you.