I do an awful lot of salmon and trout fishing, and have so many salmon recipes and trout recipes that I’ve separated them out on this page.
The default species for these recipes are king salmon and for trout recipes it’s rainbow trout, or steelhead, but in most cases these dishes will work just fine with all sorts of other salmonids, ranging from Arctic char to sockeye salmon and kokanee, other trout, pinks, silvers — yes, even farmed, store-bought Atlantic salmon or rainbows.
Keep in mind that the designations below are suggestions. I’ve made trout recipes with salmon and salmon recipes with trout.
In general, you will be dealing with salmon fillets. I prefer skin-on fillets because I like the crispy skin, but any such recipe will work perfectly well with skinless salmon fillets, too.
The bigger the fish, the more likely you’ll use a piece of salmon and not the whole fillet or side, or even the whole fish. Smaller salmon, like kokanee and pinks, interchange perfectly with trout. Similarly, very large lake trout and steelhead or char can sub in perfectly for salmon.
A word on fresh salmon vs. frozen salmon (or trout). Fresh is better if you catch it yourself of have access to freshly caught fish. Fresh salmon will taste better, be less fishy and won’t stink up your kitchen. But if you have to buy salmon from a market, buy frozen — unless you can be assured that the fish is pristine.
Prefrozen salmon will taste cleaner than “fresh frozen,” which is market-speak for thawed. Oh, and thaw your fish this way: Remove from any packaging and wrap in paper towels. Put in the fridge to thaw over a day or so. Every so often, replace the paper towels if they get damp. This will go a long way toward stinkless salmon.
Basics
Some baseline techniques you will find useful as you cook your salmon and trout. Many of these apply to so many different kinds of seafood it’s worth compiling them here.
A Simple Fried Fish Sandwich
Who doesn’t love a fish sandwich? I used Pacific rockfish for this, but trout works great, too.
Broiled Trout
Mastering the art of broiling a thin fillet like a trout. Garnish with something tart and some herbs.
Salmon Stock
Salmon or trout stock can be wonderful, but it is ephemeral. Make it, enjoy it, move on. I don’t store this stock more than a week.
Simple Grilled Whole Fish
Grilling a whole fish is an important skill to know. It requires a clean, hot grill, some oil, and lots of finesse.
How to Butterfly a Fish
This is how I butterfly and debone small fish like trout and small bass. You can either prep them for the pan, or for stuffing.
How to Cook Kokanee
Kokanee are small, landlocked sockeye salmon. Like a salmon the size of a trout. Here’s how best to cook them.
SALMON RECIPES
How to Smoke Salmon
My method for smoking salmon is very simple, but I’ve perfected it over many years. It’s a wet-brine with a maple glaze, although I prefer Alaskan birch syrup when I can get it.
Smoked Salmon Candy
This method of smoking salmon uses a dry cure with lots of brown sugar. You also glaze the strips of salmon with maple syrup to make this some of the best road food you’ll ever eat.
Smoked Trout or Kokanee
Here is how I smoke whole, small trout. It’s a bit different from smoking large lakers or salmon.
Smoked Lake Trout
Lake trout are similar to salmon, and you can use the recipe above for your lakers, but I like this recipe better. It reflects the cold, Northern lakes these fish swim in.
Salmon Patties
I make these when I bring home salmon; I use meat scraped from the carcasses to make these patties, but you can use any salmon, trout or char.
Trout Cakes
These are fish cakes made specifically for trout: herbs and a bit of mustard and Worcestershire make them unique.
Cucumber Sauce for Salmon
An elegant salmon recipe that isn’t too hard to make. It’s a great dish for a nice Sunday dinner or date night.
Butter Poached Salmon
Butter poached salmon with a simple sauce of sour cream, mixed with dill and horseradish.
Seared Salmon with Avocado Salsa
Simple seared salmon (skin on or off), served with an avocado salsa that’s basically a deconstructed guacamole.
Grilled Salmon Salad
Salmon salad made from the racks of salmon or large trout that are grilled. Once you get a nice crispy crust, you pick all the meat off the bones. Best salmon salad you’ve ever eaten.
Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
Smoked salmon, mixed into a rich, spicy deviled egg? Yes, please.
Smoked Salmon Pasta
Smoked salmon, flaked out and served with a hearty, whole wheat pasta.
Salmon Rillettes
Think of this as a rough pate, or a chunky dip. A great party appetizer.
Salmon Dip
The key here is the combination of both smoked and freshly poached salmon or trout. A great, easy appetizer for a party… or for watching the game.
Salmon Chowder
Salmon, steelhead or other trout made into a lovely light Pacific Northwest-style chowder.
Icelandic Salmon Soup
A Nordic take on salmon chowder, this is surprisingly light. Works well with trout, too.
Grilled Salmon Collar with Ponzu Sauce
Meaty, rich and fun to eat, salmon collars are my favorite part of the fish, and they are made for grilling. Marinate it, grill it, then eat with your fingers. Super fun!
Salmon Tartare
A fancy, classy salmon tartare: Horseradish, dill and a little roasted pumpkinseed oil give it a Northern European flair.
Salmon Head Soup
This is what you do when you have a whole salmon head. There is a lot of meat on one, and by gently stewing it and the picking off all that meat, you get a rich salmon broth and plenty of salmon bits for the soup. Don’t worry, no eyeballs in this recipe…
TROUT RECIPES
Smoked Trout Dip
An ode to the Great Lakes, smoked trout dip is great on crackers, toast or as a sandwich filling.
Fried Trout with Peas
Boneless, butterflied trout dusted in flour and served with peas and a lemon-butter sauce.
Grilled Trout or Kokanee
Grilled whole trout are a wonderfully easy summertime meal. Even better when you catch them and cook them over a campfire!
Trout with Orange-Saffron Sauce
Seared trout with a bright, flavorful orange-saffron sauce. Serve it with simple greens, like spinach.
Trout with Morels
A springtime classic. You can use any mushrooms you want, though.
How to Make Trout Caviar
If life gives you a salmon, trout or steelhead with roe, use this technique to make your own caviar. It’s easy, and will last in the fridge for a week or so.
All looks delicious. Elected to cater my daughters wedding reception with 120 people, I had 70 pounds of silver salmon flown down from Alaska. ( a gift) With little time and 5 huge fish & $700 of food from Costco, I had to cook them whole in a gas oven. It was almost a crime, but I stuffed them with herbs and veggies and lemons and seasoned and put liquid smoke on them. Cooked all night from 8 pm til 6 am the next morning. Everyone loved it and it was a huge success. I just wish I had time to prepare the fish right.
Which one of these recipes would be your first choice for an upper slot cutthroat out of Pyramid?
Kyle: Use a salmon recipe, because those fish are pretty large. If you smoke it, use the lake trout recipe.
In the salmon head soup recipe, you said not to worry, no eyes; but I saw no mention of removing the eyes. Or how to do so. And are the eyes bad for you? I’ve heard they harbor some illness-producing thing; but do not recall the whole story. I didn’t have any salmon heads then; but do now. Thankyou for any advice you may offer. I’m an elder and have limits to what I can do.
Marylyn: Nope, you leave them in. You get no eyes in your soup because you strain the broth. And no, they are not bad for you.
Hank – ran-across your site in response to my curiosity being piqued on seeing some pics of Long Island Stripers and noted the recipes.
Saw some of your other recipes and started to drool over my monitor screen..
A few other tasty suggestions that I have enjoyed over the years:
-Cioppino and Italian Fish Stew in a light but spicy broth (great with some good crusty bread and a cold beer)
-Pescestocco Fritto (Sicilan?) dish with a tomato-caper-olive sauce with wedges of potatoes
-Chillo en Mojito Isleno (Puerto Rican) Ideally, Snapper but almost any firm white fish will work – sauted with a sauce (rings of onion, capers, olives, peppers, oregano) with flavors that magically mingle
-Cobia – Simply marinate in Mojo Criollo (bottled or make from scratch) and then toss slabs of the stuff on the grill (medium heat, indirect)
-Halibut poached in white wine with a (french word – mirapoire?) diced mix of onion, carrots, and celery over the top (From “The Way to Cook” by Julia Child) it’s an old-school classic but simple, easy, and tasty!
I do Cajun blackened salmon with a mango salsa on a semi-regular basis, especially when I have a piece that the vacuum seal failed and became a little freezer burned. There’s no reason you couldn’t do that with trout or char as well. For blackened seasoning one can “cheat” and use Penzey’s Cajun or if desperate, Paul Prudome’s red fish magic. I prefer to make my own, from a recipe I found on epicurious (blackened halibut).
Hi Hank,
My wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed a few of your wild rabbit, squirrel, and venison recipes. I live in Michigan and am an avid trout fisherman. My wife absolutely loves Cajun dishes. I was wondering if you have any Cajun recipes that you’ve made with brown, rainbow, or brook trout even though those fish are not from that area?
dear hank, have you consider doing a fish and seafood cookbook
Kristopher: Yes.
What is herbs de provence ?
Rob: It’s a mix of savory, marjoram, thyme, oregano and sometimes lavender.
Its a little rough, but here is my favorite recipe for trout. I was surprised to see it missing from your list.
Trout provençale en papillot
Ingredients:
1 cleaned, pan sized trout
Yellow nugget potatoes
Fresh, crisp bunch Carrots
Optional: Asparagus or green beans or fiddlehead ferns
Butter
Olive oil
1 small Shallot
Salt and Pepper
Herbs de Provence
Minced fresh rosemary
Lemon juice
100ml DRY White wine
Parchment paper
Create an envelope with the parchment paper. Wash trout and dry off, place trout inside
Drizzle with olive oil
Squeeze lemon juice in and over fish
Liberally douse with herbs de provence, and salt/pepper to taste inside and out
Slice shallots thinly and place evenly across fish
Pour in white wine
Add pats of butter here and there and inside fish
Cut potatoes into 1/8″ slices so they cook evenly. Toss potatoes in olive oil and s+p and minced rosemary.
Place carrots and potatoes around the outer edge of fish.
Seal up envelope and place in oven @ 400 for 40 mins.
If fish is a bit smaller, you can get away with 350 for 40 mins.