Fried Brook Trout
Don't think of trying this recipe unless you or someone
you trust will catch the trout, treat them properly and have
them ready for cooking within a few hours after the fish
left the water. Avoid stocked trout. The best brook trout
for frying are, in my judgment, 10 to 12 inches long with
red-gold flesh.
INGREDIENTS
Enough trout to feed whoever will be sharing the feast.
4 to 5 T butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon juice for each 2 trout
Fresh parsley
PROCEDURE
The trout should have been cleaned immediately after being
caught. Leave the heads and fins on the fish. Salt and
pepper the body cavity lightly. Melt the butter in a large
skillet and heat until the butter starts to brown. Place the
trout side by side in the pan but do not crowd. Fry rapidly
about 2 minutes on 1 side, turn over and fry about 1 minute.
Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of chopped parsley on each trout and
dribble the lemon juice over the fish. Cover and cook for
another minute. Check for doneness with a fork. The meat
should not be soft, but should come away from the backbone
at the thickest part of the fish. Serve immediately.
NOTE
You can replace the lemon juice with an equal amount of a
good dry white wine such as a Riesling. Brook trout should
be served with lightly seasoned side dishes or simply with
good bread and butter and a glass or two of wine.
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