Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout With Trout Roe

Name: Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout With Trout Roe
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 whole, head-on rainbow trout (about 3/4 pound each), rinsed and patted dry; 1 tablespoon sumac powder; 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt; 3 tablespoons sunflower oil, plus more for drizzling (optional); 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped; 1 small bunch watercress (or other dark greens, such as arugula or spinach), for garnish; 1/4 cup trout roe, salmon roe or paddlefish roe, for garnish

By Sean Sherman

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(69)
Notes: Read community notes

Whole trout makes for a stunning presentation, especially when it is topped with delicate pink roe, which sparkles like gems on top of the fish and imparts a salty, mineral flavor. Trout from the icy Rocky Mountain streams are at their best in late spring, when the ice has just melted. Cooks from the Shoshone tribe, among many others, make delicious meals using the entire fish, wasting nothing: Cheeks and eyes are considered a delicacy, as is the roe harvested from the females, which is prized for its distinct flavor and its relationship to renewal.

Featured in: Sean Sherman’s 10 Essential Native American Recipes

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

4whole, head-on rainbow trout (about ¾ pound each), rinsed and patted dry
1tablespoon sumac powder
2teaspoons coarse sea salt
3tablespoons sunflower oil, plus more for drizzling (optional)
¼cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1small bunch watercress (or other dark greens, such as arugula or spinach), for garnish
¼cup trout roe, salmon roe or paddlefish roe, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Open the trout fillets and fan out like a book, lifting open both fillets to create an even, somewhat flat surface.
Step 2
In a small bowl, mix together the sumac and salt. Season the trout on both sides with the sumac-salt blend.
Step 3
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, add one trout at a time, flesh-side down, and cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the fish and cook until firm throughout, 1 to 2 more minutes. Transfer the trout to a warm plate, skin-side down, and tent with foil until all the fish is cooked. Repeat with the remaining oil and fish. (You only need 3 tablespoons oil: 1 tablespoon for each batch except the last, which won’t need it.)
Step 4
Lightly drizzle the cooked trout with more oil, if desired. Garnish with walnuts and watercress; spoon the trout roe on top. Serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

69 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

M Mimura3 years ago

We really enjoyed this. Our fish were farm-raised from the grocery store, so they did not have their heads. There was no trout roe available, so we used salmon roe. And we often find walnuts bitter, so I used pecans. We will make it again sometime when my husband catches fresh trout - when we can travel again!

Josh1 month ago

I left the fish on too long and it got burned. So I just threw the rest of the fish in and mixed it with the walnuts and everything and served it with red rice.

SusanB1 year ago

The combination of walnuts and sumac adds a wonderful umami to this very simple dish . Was too cheap to spend a small fortune for roe to garnish, but this was delicious without it.

MC1 year ago

Made this twice, and was delicious both times! Did it without nuts (allergy) and roe (hard to find), and still tastes great!

M Mimura3 years ago

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