A freshly caught trout cooked in brown butter within an hour of leaving the water is one of the finest things you can eat outdoors. Here is the method.
The Rule
Trout is at its best within two hours of the water. The flesh is firm, the flavour clean and sweet. Every hour after that is a slight decline. Cook your trout promptly, eat it immediately, and do not overthink it.
What You Need
A heavy-based pan (cast iron or carbon steel — both work on a camp fire or gas), butter, sliced almonds, lemon, salt, and the fish. That is it. Do not add garlic. Do not add wine. Do not apply a spice rub. The fish does not need help.
Method (serves 2, one fish each)
- Clean the fish immediately after catching. Remove the gills — they impart bitterness quickly. Gut, rinse in clean cold water, and pat completely dry inside and out. Dry fish browns; wet fish steams.
- Score the skin with 3 diagonal cuts on each side to prevent curling. Season generously inside and out with salt only at this stage — pepper burns in the initial high heat.
- Heat the pan over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. It should foam immediately and then turn golden within 30 seconds.
- Lay the fish in skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula for the first 10 seconds to ensure full skin contact. Do not move it.
- Cook on high for 3–4 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh has turned opaque two-thirds of the way up the side of the fish.
- Flip. Add remaining butter and the almonds. As the butter continues to foam and the almonds toast, use a spoon to baste the fish continuously for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. The fish is done when the flesh at the thickest point behind the head flakes cleanly when pressed. Squeeze lemon over everything.
Eat directly from the pan. Serves two people who are hungry from fishing.
