Grilled Trout Steaks
Ingredients
2 servings
- Trout steaks 2 (about 600 g)
- Lemon 1
- Dry white wine enough to cover the fish
- Soy sauce 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil 3–4 tbsp
- Sea salt, black or mixed peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds equal parts, to taste
- Allspice 1–2 berries
Step-by-step recipe
Marinating the trout
Grilled trout is simple to make, and it’s lightly marinated first.
Carefully scale the steaks under cold running water so the trout isn’t covered in scales on all sides. It’s quick. A knife or a special fish scaler works best.
Make the seasoning yourself: it’s easy, and the grilled trout will be very fragrant. Mix equal parts sea salt, black or mixed peppercorns, coriander and mustard seeds, and add 1–2 allspice berries. Grind everything in a mortar to a powder.
Sprinkle the steaks generously on all sides with the seasoning to taste.
Put the trout steaks in a plastic or ceramic dish.
Squeeze 1 tbsp of lemon juice over the fish and pour over dry white wine mixed with 1 tsp of good soy sauce, so the fish is covered with liquid.
Put in the fridge for 1 hour.
Grilling
From here there are options: if you have a charcoal grill, good. If you have an electric grill, even better. Or a grill pan, which is handier and quicker. Grilled trout will be tasty whichever way you cook it.
Take the fish out of the marinade. Pat it dry with paper towels, otherwise the trout will steam in the leftover liquid.
Brush the steaks with vegetable oil on all sides.
Put them straight on the grill rack. The rack must be very hot.
As my friends in Bulgaria say, five minutes on one side and five minutes on the other. The trout should brown.
Don’t panic if it browns a lot. It isn’t burnt. The soy sauce gives it that deep golden color.
Serving
Put the cooked trout on large plates. Add a quarter of a large lemon.
Calories and macros
645 kcal
Serving ≈ 250 g
- Protein60 g38% of kcal
- Fat43 g61% of kcal
- Carbs2 g1% of kcal
100 g259 kcalProtein 24.1 gFat 17.1 gCarbs 0.8 g
Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.
To Get It Right
So the fish doesn’t stick
Three things matter: the steaks are dry after the marinade, brushed with oil on all sides, and the rack is very hot. Turn the trout only once, when a golden crust has formed underneath; then it comes away from the rack easily.
For the pure taste of trout
Trout is delicious on its own. If you don’t want the spices to mask its flavor and aroma, use just salt and the wine and lemon juice marinade.
From fillet pieces
Fish on the grill is also easy to make from fillet pieces. A fillet is thinner than a steak, so it cooks faster: put it skin side down and turn it only once.
Have your own trick for this recipe?
Questions and answers
How long to grill trout steaks?
Steaks 3–4 cm thick take 5 minutes on each side on a very hot rack. Thin steaks on a grill pan may be done sooner: look for a golden crust and opaque flesh by the bone.
How to marinate trout for grilling?
Rub the steaks with the salt and ground spice mix, squeeze 1 tbsp of lemon juice over them and cover with dry white wine mixed with 1 tsp of soy sauce. Marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.
How to cook trout on an electric grill?
The same way as on a charcoal grill; an electric grill is even better for trout. If it’s a contact grill that cooks both sides at once, don’t turn the fish, and it needs about half the time.
How to cook trout on a charcoal grill?
On a rack over hot coals, without open flames, 5 minutes on each side. A hinged grill basket is handy: you turn all the steaks at once, and they don’t fall apart.
Can you grill a whole trout?
You can, but this recipe is for steaks: they cook faster and more evenly. A whole trout is marinated the same way but grilled longer, until the flesh by the backbone turns opaque.