The Elusive Maine Brown Trout
The Maine Brown Trout, also known as German Brown Trout, Brownie, Loch Leven Trout, and Swiss Lake Trout was first introduced to the United States in the 1800's. One of the first areas of this country that it was introduced to was Branch Lake in Ellsworth, Maine in 1885. The Brown Trout is often mistaken for landlocked salmon because of it's silvery coloration but the typical Brown Trout is a yellowish brown with large brown, black or reddish spots at it's sides.
For years my husband has referred to this fish as "the elusive Brown Trout." In fact, it has been given that distinction by many Maine fisherman over the years. It has been said that the Brown Trout is very clever and as difficult as they can be to catch, getting one on your hook is only the beginning of the battle. The Brown Trout is clever enough to attempt a number of different strategies to escape after being caught. It will actually try to tangle the line around different obstacles in the water and if that does not work; it will perform a variety of different acrobatics out of the water to escape. My husband was lucky enough to win the battle with the Brown Trout in the picture above and I was all the more lucky to be able to enjoy my first taste of Brown Trout this season on Mother's Day this year.
Rather than focus on a specific recipe, I would like to talk more about the different ways of preparing and cooking this delicious fish. I think a Mainer's first instinct would be to fillet the fish, dredge it through some flour or cornmeal and fry it up in a pan with lard, bacon fat or butter. There is nothing wrong with that long standing tradition! It is an easy and incredibly delicious way to prepare this fish especially at camp when you have a bunch of hungry mouths to feed.
A more sophisticated preparation would be to bake the trout in parchment paper. This preparation is called Trout en Papillote. It is not nearly as difficult a preparation as the name is to pronounce. To prepare the fish this way, you simply cut two pieces of parchment paper large enough to cover the trout. Score the fish on both sides by cutting small slits into the flesh until you feel the bone. Place the fish on one of the pieces of parchment paper and add garlic, onions, lemon, herbs or anything else that you may desire to cook the fish with. Drizzle some olive oil over the fish and place the second piece of parchment paper over the top. Fold up the ends of both pieces of parchment paper to make a pouch and to seal the fish inside. Cut a couple small slits in the top of the pouch and place into a small baking pan to cook for about 15 minutes.
You can also poach a trout like you would a salmon by placing it into a large skillet on top of a bed of lemons, onions, and garlic with about 2 cups of chicken broth, water or white wine. Season the fish with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Cover the skillet and lightly simmer the fish for 8 to 10 minutes. This preparation is especially good served on a nice bed of greens or over a salad. Trout prepared this way is so light and mild tasting. It is a great alternative to salmon if you are not a fan of the stronger tasting fish.
My personal favorite preparation for Brown Trout is as simple as the rest but the most flavorful way to prepare it in my opinion. After the fish has been dressed (gutted), I stuff it with lemon slices, garlic and fresh herbs. I score the fish on both sides and season with sea salt, cracked black pepper, more fresh herbs and drizzle with olive oil. I place the whole fish, head and all, onto a piece of tin foil and wrap the sides of the foil up around it leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Then I throw the fish onto a hot grill for about 10 minutes or until the flesh becomes flaky and you can peel the skin off.
You can eat every part of this fish including the skin and eyes. It is mild and a little bit on the oily side; which only adds to the flavor in my opinion. My personal favorite part of the fish is the cheeks. Yes...fish have cheeks! They are the tiny pocket of meat just below the eye. The taste and texture of the cheek is similar to a scallop. They are quite small on a brown trout but are delicious and should not be wasted no matter the size.
Now that you have been given a number of preparations to try, the only thing left to do is go out and catch yourself a nice Brown Trout. I can promise you that it will be the only challenging part of the meal. If your attempts to catch one fail, you can always visit your local fish market and buy a trout, salmon or any other fish and use one of these preparations on them just the same!
Enjoy!