Trout

• Arctic char: This species is distinguished by the beauty of its coloring, which is often dark blue or blue-green on the back, silvery blue on the sides, and white on the underside. Its sides are speckled with large red, pink, or cream-colored blotches. Its size varies depending on its habitat, but it usually weighs 2–11 pounds.
• Brown trout: Originating in Europe and introduced into North America in 1883, brown trout usually weigh 2–13 pounds but can be heavier. The species of brown trout found exclusively in freshwater is usually about 16" long, while the variety that migrates between freshwater and the sea can grow to be almost 5 feet long. Its dorsal skin is brownish, its sides are silvery, and its ventral skin is off-white or cream-colored. Large black spots, many of which are encircled by pale rings, adorn its head and dorsal fins as well as its sides, which are speckled with irregu­larly shaped, rust-colored spots.
• Brook trout: This is a relatively small fish, usually weighing 1/2–3 pounds and measuring 10–12". Its dorsal skin is often dark olive or black and is marbled with dark lines, while its silvery sides are speckled with small red spots encircled by bluish halos. One variety of brook trout lives mainly in the sea.
   
  
• Common grayling: This European species smells somewhat like thyme when freshly caught. It has an elongated, slightly compressed body with a small head and mouth, very long dorsal fins, and a forked tail. Its skin is covered with scales larger than those found on the trout, and its slightly rounded back can be dark blue, blue-gray, or crimson. Its entire body is speckled with inconsistent diamond- or V-shaped marks. A very beautiful fish, it can be anywhere from 16–20" long.
• Lake trout: Distinguished from other trout by its forked tail and elongated body, the lake trout is usually speckled with pale or yellowish blotches. Its skin ranges from gray or light green to brown or dark green verging on black. One of the largest freshwater fish, it usually measures 15–20". Although it generally weighs 4–7 pounds, it can tip the scales at more than 75 pounds. It has very powerful teeth.
• Rainbow trout: Originating on the west coast of North America, the rainbow trout was introduced into European waters at the end of the 19th century. It resembles the brown trout and is approximately the same weight. Its dorsal skin is metallic blue, and its sides are adorned with a horizontal stripe that ranges from dark pink to bright red to crimson, which explains why the fish is known as the rainbow trout. Its back and sides, as well as its dorsal and adipose fins, are covered with black spots. The rainbow trout thrives in cold, clear water, but it can also live in warm water. It is the most common trout in North America and the trout most commonly bred in fish farms worldwide.
   
  

What Does Trout Taste Like?

Nutritional Information: Trout

How to Buy Trout

How to Prepare Trout

How to Cook Trout

Sample Recipe: Trout Cooked in Aluminum Foil (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 shallots
• 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves
• 1 lemon
• 4 whole trout, each weighing about 1/2 lb
• Salt and ground pepper
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Slice the shallots thinly. Chop the tarragon, dill, and parsley. Peel and slice the lemon.
3. Ensure that the trout have been gutted and are ready to cook, then pat them dry. Salt and pepper the insides of the fish, then stuff them with the shallots and herbs.
4. Cut 4 rectangular pieces of aluminum foil and brush each of them on one side with olive oil. Place the trout on the pieces of foil and cover them with the lemon slices. Bring the edges of the foil together, tightly sealing each of the rectangles. Arrange the packages in an ovenproof dish and cook the fish for 15 minutes.