Are British rainbow trout going to disappear from our tables?
Supermarket suggests rainbow trout will no longer be eaten here within two decades.
One supermarket’s fishmongers say British rainbow trout will vanish from British dinner tables within a generation.
Morrisons reports that sales of the freshwater fish have fallen by around 10% over the last five years and, if this trend continues, the nation won’t be eating any at all within 17 years.
The supermarket says many people have switched to cod or salmon, or international freshwater species such as Tilapia and Pangasius.
Salmon versus trout
Salmon is often lauded as a good source of essential omega-3 fatty acids, as well as containing plenty of vital vitamins and minerals.
While salmon has been touted as a health miracle of sorts, trout seems to have been largely overlooked despite bearing many of the same properties, with less fat (and correspondingly, less omega-3 fatty acids), fewer calories and a significant amount more calcium.
As well as bearing something of a resemblance to its cousin (they’re both of the Salmonidae family) trout also tastes reasonably similar to salmon, though Huw Thomas, Fisheries & Aquaculture Manager at Morrisons, says that trout’s flavour is much more subtle than salmon. “It’s got a delicate flavour which is slightly nutty and earthy.”
“There are a huge range of classic trout dishes,” says Huw, “but personally I prefer rubbing spicy flavours on to the fish skin such as paprika and cumin, then baking them.”
Five ways with trout
Below are five recipes from the loveFOOD archives which will hopefully get you inspired to start cooking with trout. If you have any methods you'd like to share, please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Tea-smoked brown trout
Smoke a couple of trout with loose leaf tea to add a delicate flavour to the fish. Next prepare samphire with butter and garlic, and finish with a poached egg and caper butter sauce. Serve with new potatoes.
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Wok-smoked trout with dill
Another smoky recipe, this time cooked using a rack set inside a wok filled with sawdust. But before smoking, two small whole trouts are brined in a salt and sugar solution seasoned with caraway seeds and dill.
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Barbecued stuffed trout
These trout get snazzy jackets made from maize leaves, which locks in the moisture as they cook over a hot barbecue. Stuff the fish with bay leaf, garlic, thyme and lemon and grill for about ten minutes on each side.
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Trout and roasted gnocchi
Fresh homemade gnocchi is a superb match for fish. Flash fry pieces of trout and serve them with trumpet mushrooms, your gnocchi, and fresh salad leaves. You could also add herbs like chervil and chives to the gnocchi.
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Summer beetroot and trout salad
If you can find them, use sweet chilli or lime zest-infused beetroot for this recipe. Flaked smoked trout sits side by side with salad leaves, chopped beetroot, radishes and a dash of olive oil tossed among the salad leaves.
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Do you prefer salmon or trout? If trout falls out of favour, will we all miss out? And what’s the best way to cook it? Let us know in the Comments below.
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