Bourbon Steelhead Trout

"Fish, to taste good, must swim three times: in water, in butter, and in wine."--proverb


Steelhead trout is another name for rainbow trout. And, if you like salmon, you'll love steelhead trout. It is very mild, delicate, slightly earthy and sweet. This recipe comes from the bestest good one. We buy whole steelhead trout filets from Costco, portion it into 4-6 ounce serving sizes, and freeze it in the marinade. 


Bourbon Marinade
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 orange juice (or pine-orange)
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic minced
1 heaping tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper


Whisk above together and pour over steelhead trout filets. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but 3 hours or more is better. 


To cook the trout

Melt 1 TBSP vegetable oil and 1 TBSP butter in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When the foaming subsides, place the steelhead trout filet skin-side down, and cook for about 5 minutes. (Don't worry if it gets dark, as you're going to peel this off anyway.) Turn the trout and cover, cooking an additional 3 minutes or so. The exact times depend on how done you like your trout (or salmon if that is what you are more accustomed to). Uncover, turn the fish again, and peel the skin off. You can then flip the fish one last time just to get some color on the now naked skin-side if you like.