oven-baked lake trout

various dates

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbelly and lean. The lake trout is prized both as a game fish and as a food fish. (Wikipedia)

I ordered these online from walleyedirect.com, very happy with the product.

As far as I can remember, I have always oven-baked lake trout.

A. lake trout in oil

2016-09-01 a.o.

This was my first time ever cooking lake trout, on the very same day I received it. I prepared it plain and simple, to appreciate the flavor of the fish without distractions from sauces or condiments.

These aren't true salmons, but they could just as well be. These fillets are bigger than some of the sockeye salmon fillets I have received. The meat is lightly orange colored when fresh, but turns white when cooked. The meat is firm and flaky when cooked, with a mild flavor with a slight oily overtone, but not as much as salmon. A delicious fish.

I baked this in pure oil, because that gives a more flavorful fish than braising or poaching in water.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for # servings:

1 lb. lake trout fillet, skin-on, frozen
grape seed / peanut oil
or other cooking oil with high smoking point
S&P

Pic1: lake trout
not the best picture

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 ºF.
Rub the filet with oil, S&P, spices of your choice on both sides.
Place in ovenproof dish skin-side down and add about ¼” of oil.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes to thaw the fish and preheat the oil.
Increase oven temperature to 400 ºF.
Bake 15-20 minutes until cooked throughout.
Baste a few times with the extra oil in the dish to make the topside crisper.
When done, remove from the oil. Place on paper towel and pat dry to remove the oil.
Serve immediately and enjoy.

Pic2: lake trout frozen
Pic3: in oil — 2016-09-03
Pic4: served with Jambalaya rice and Cherokee Purple tomatoes — 2017-10-11

B. Lake trout with bacon

2016-09-20

Lake trout is by far the tastiest fish in the lot of sweetwater fish I recently bought online. It bakes quite nicely and is a lot more forgiving than e.g. Northern pike: the flesh remains beautifully soft and moist. I have not had a rubber lake trout ever.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 servings:

1 lake trout fillet 1 – 1.5 lbs. (frozen)
S&P
spices
I used 'Badia complete seasoning'
3-4 slices bacon
olive oil

Pic5: lake trout with bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 ºF.
Place the frozen lake trout fillet in an ovenproof dish.
Season to taste.
Pour olive oil over and around the fish until it is about 1/4" high in the dish.
Chop the bacon in small pieces and spread them on the fish. (Pic5)
Bake in oven 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 ºF.
Bake 20 more minutes, or until the fish is done, white, opaque and flaking but still moist inside.
Long cooking time because the fish started frozen, and these are thick fillets.
Remove the fish from the oil, place on a paper towel and pat dry to remove the oil.
Serve immediately

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org