Cooking trout over a fire

[P@ul]

Has anyone tried cooking rainbow trout over a fire, on a stick without gutting the fish?
I'm sure Ray Mears done this in one of the Wild Food programes on a brown trout. I was going to give it a try but I just wasn't sure as I have always gutted my fish in the past.

Paul

 

[torjusg]

I didn't know that Ray have done that too, I have grilled brown trout without gutting them many times. It imparts a slightly salty taste to the flesh. Quite pleasant actually. I don't eat the stommach and the guts, but all of the other organs I happily devour along with the flesh.

Not least, the brains and the cheeks. It is some of the most fatty parts of the fish. Yummy!

 

[fred gordon]

Meant to post this a while ago about cooking trout. Some years ago I saw the chef Nick Nairn on a TV programme wrap a small trout in tin foil and cook it in the chimney of a Kelly kettle. Slow burning flame in the kettle I would imagine and I can't remember if he gutted it or not.

 

[P@ul]

Thanks guys for posting so quick, I would assume rainbow could be cooked the same as brown trout. I may give it a miss this time and gut the fish for later.

Paul

 

[PhilParry]

surely it also depends how fresh the trout is? I'd give it a go with a freshly caught one, but I certainly wouldnt try it otherwise!!

 

[P@ul]

surely it also depends how fresh the trout is? I'd give it a go with a freshly caught one, but I certainly wouldnt try it otherwise!!

Caught two this afternoon, you don't get much fresher than that.

 

[torjusg]

Tell us of your experience afterwards then Paul.

I have this feeling that it may taste slightly different from what it has been eating. Is it stocked or wild fish?

 

[Wayland]

This one was gutted because it was shop bought but it is the way I usually cook them on the riverside.

 

[P@ul]

Tell us of your experience afterwards then Paul.

I have this feeling that it may taste slightly different from what it has been eating. Is it stocked or wild fish?

Unfortunately it’s only a stocked one and has probably only ever eaten fish pellets. I think I will have to gut these though as I'm running out of time and don't want to leave them overnight ungutted.

Paul

 

[P@ul]

Wayland, was it a rainbow and would you cook it ungutted if you had caught it fresh?
Paul

 

[Wayland]

Yes it was a rainbow and yes I have cooked them guts and all in the past.

 

[RodStrod]

thanks asking this question, I had been wondering too.

Can someone just clarify one last question I have - In order to cook the fish you have to put it on a stick, either all the way through the fish or just in through the mouth a little......surely the stick pierces the guts inside.....does that not taint the fish. Is there a certain way to put a stick in/through a fish to avoid problems?

thanks!!

 

[torjusg]

thanks asking this question, I had been wondering too.

Can someone just clarify one last question I have - In order to cook the fish you have to put it on a stick, either all the way through the fish or just in through the mouth a little......surely the stick pierces the guts inside.....does that not taint the fish. Is there a certain way to put a stick in/through a fish to avoid problems?

thanks!!

It doesn't seem to matter. I drive it all the way from the mouth to inside the tail. But not through the skin at the tail. That will make the the fish more easily fall off the stick.

 

[bushtank]

I personaly would gut the fish then put it on the stick but there is no problem with pierceing the gut cavity there is not anything in there that will harm you i have done this many times and im still hear

 

[leon-1]

Gut the fish

Take a large piece of bark, layer it with mud, then put dock leaves on the mud, place the fish on the dock leaves, place dock leaves over the fish, then mud over the dock leaves.

Scrape back the embers of the fire and place your thick layer of bark and all of its contents into those embers. Bury the whole thing in embers for about an hour or so. You can rebuild the fire over the top.

When you drag the fish out use the leaves to seperate themud layer from the fish. The fish will be steamed.

I haven't done this for a while, but it is really lovely.