good things - Liz Posmyk
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • My book
  • Writing & Media
  • FAQs

Cooking trout - the simplest and best method from a trout farmer

27/8/2016

22 Comments

 
Fresh Rainbow trout from the Robertson Trout Farm - photo Liz Posmyk Good Things
When a food producer presents you with a fine sample of his (or her) goods, I believe that you should treat the product with absolute respect. For example, this beautiful Rainbow trout, which came snapping fresh from the Robertson Trout Farm in the NSW Southern Highlands.

Dennis, the producer, has turned his passion for trout into his hobby. The former sailor, youth worker and electrician says 'I like trout. It's pure food with no additives, and that's why I started growing them for myself and my family. Now that I've retired from full time work, trout farming is my hobby.'

The Robertson Trout Farm supplies fresh fish to Rockabella's Roadside Diner, The Robertson Inn, and locals who appreciate the fresh fish. Ellie Di Bella, owner of Rockabella's Roadside Diner (specialising in classic Tex Mex food), marinates the trout in a honey bourbon liqueur and smokes it in-house. The smoked trout is offered in a range of dishes, including a galette with Robertson potatoes. Another of Ellie's trout specialties is Cajun spice-crumbed trout served with Tex Mex rice and salsa fresca.

Dennis currently has around 1,000 trout on the farm and restocks with 1,500 fingerlings each year. 'I grow them out over about 9-10 months, and then sell them,' he explained.
 
Expecting to hear a selection of complex recipes, I asked Dennis to tell me about his favourite way of cooking trout. 'Because the trout is so fresh, the best way to cook it is three and a half minutes in the microwave. No pepper, no salt, no lemon, nothing. Then, peel the skin off, get a fork and eat it!' he said. Too easy.

​So, how did I cook the trout? Simply and with respect - although I did veer slightly from the method suggested by Dennis. I filled the belly of the fish with slices of our fresh, home-grown Meyer lemon and chopped parsley, and seasoned it with just a little sea salt and pepper.  Then, I covered it with cling film and cooked it for three and a half minutes in the microwave, per the original instructions from Dennis.

Peter and I enjoyed the fish with a side of crisp garden salad...  and I have to tell you, it was, quite simply, THE BEST trout I have ever eaten. Thank you, Dennis.

Incidentally, Dennis explained that the cooked trout can be refrigerated and eaten cold the following day. 'We enjoy it with lemons and onions, and I also love trout curry,' he said.

While the Robertson Trout Farm  is part of the Robertson Food and Wine Cluster, it is not physically open to the public. However, you can order fresh trout to take home by giving Dennis a courtesy call (on 02 4885 1193) a day or two before the fish is required.

If you happen to be passing through Robertson in the NSW Southern Highlands, make sure you pop in to Rockabella's Diner and The Robertson Inn, both on Hoddle Street. You will find both venues on Facebook.

It's your turn now, dear readers. Do you enjoy Rainbow trout? What's your favourite way of cooking it?
22 Comments
Tandy I Lavender and Lime link
27/8/2016 01:34:47 am

We got some trout last night. I've never tried microwaving it before. We usually do it in the oven or on the BBQ. We are going to gravalax what we bought.

Reply
Lizzy
27/8/2016 01:49:44 am

Nice one, Tandy. I have yet to try that. x

Reply
Peter
27/8/2016 01:35:38 am

That was a beautifully fresh trout. I really enjoyed it. Thanks Dennis.

Reply
Lizzy
27/8/2016 01:49:58 am

Wasn't it ever!

Reply
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
27/8/2016 01:48:02 am

Interesting! I'd never thought to cook trout in the microwave. I think I like the idea of controlling the level of cooking a bit more and seeing how cooked it gets but I'll give anything a try!

Reply
Lizzy
27/8/2016 01:49:20 am

Hi Lorraine, truly, this was amazing! I have been cooking for about 50 years now and I certainly had no complaints.
: )

Reply
John / Kitchen Riffs link
27/8/2016 05:14:28 pm

I love cooking fish in the microwave! Although I don't use this method all the time, it really does produce the best and most moist fish IMO. Poaching is good, too. Although some fish -- salmon or swordfish steaks, for example, cry out to be grilled. Anyway, good post -- thanks.

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:02:08 pm

I have microwaved salmon steaks before this, John, but never a whole trout. It was amazingly good.

Reply
Amanda link
27/8/2016 06:41:40 pm

Wow - it's not often you'll hear a producer recommend cooking anything in a microwave & I've certainly never thought of doing fish in one.
This trout looks like a very fine specimen!

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:02:30 pm

Indeed it was, Amanda!

Reply
Eha
27/8/2016 08:42:56 pm

Trout is probably the fish I learned to love most way back in Europe as a child and still do but have never used the microwave to cook it. Interesting recipe from one who should know. My first marital family owned a large apple farm in Bilpin in the Blue Mountains way back when: my FIL had two huge dams dug 'at the bottom of the garden' and the same number of fingerlings from Cooma or points south seeded into one of them every year. Methinks very many Ascham girls learned how to line-fish for these delightful creatures on the banks of the dams and half would be immediately smoked to take to all the homes: lovely memories. . . .

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:03:09 pm

Oh wow, Eha, lovely memories indeed. What a delightful story to share. Thank you x

Reply
Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy link
28/8/2016 12:40:42 am

Wow! I'd never have thought to use the microwave. Thanks for the tip. Your trout sounds glorious. It is such a lovely fish

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:03:24 pm

So, so fresh!

Reply
David link
28/8/2016 01:56:18 am

We use the microwave for fish on occasion, but have never done a whole fish. Definitely worth trying!

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:04:03 pm

It was my first time with a whole fish, too David. It wasn't a huge fish, I should point out, but it cooked beautifully.

Reply
Bob Bennett
28/8/2016 05:00:52 pm

That looks to be one very fine trout, Lizzie!

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:04:18 pm

Absolutely.

Reply
Simone Mason
28/8/2016 05:01:31 pm

Oooooh. I had not thought of putting a whole trout into the microwave, but it makes sense. Thank you.

Reply
Lizzy
28/8/2016 05:04:32 pm

A pleasure!

Reply
Karen (Back Road Journal) link
29/8/2016 10:57:55 am

I love trout but would never, ever thought to cook it in the microwave. Live and learn, thanks Liz.

Reply
Fiona MacLeod
15/8/2020 04:27:46 pm

I too have been cooking since I was a nipper - my mum and dad worked full time - fish was one of my specialities we spent summers at my dads house in Arbroath Angus - (home of the Smokie). On leaving hospital on the day of lockdown discharged partly on condition that the microwave was my only cooker I knew I was being given one of the biggest challenges being convinced that the only use the were was for heating up cups of tea or coffee and that they were pretty useless for that as the milk could boil over. Against my will I have had to give the microwave a chance..... tonight it’s trout, wish me luck!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Welcome...

    Üdvözölöm
    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

    ​Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion.
    ​
    Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers
    and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks
    ​and cooking.
    ​
    - Liz Posmyk

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    All
    Anzac
    Apple Growers
    Australia
    Australian Producers
    Autumn
    Baking
    Beverages
    Biscuits
    Book Reviews
    Bread
    Breakfast
    Butter
    Cakes & Slices
    Canberra
    Charmaine Solomon
    Cheese
    Chestnuts
    Christmas
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    Conversations
    Cookies
    Cookware
    Cuisine Companion
    Curries
    Dairy Products
    Desserts
    Diet
    Dough
    Drink Blog
    Easter
    Edible Gifts
    Eggs
    Egg Safety
    Essays
    Events
    Favourite Flavours
    Fish
    Food News
    Food TV
    Food Verse
    Fruit
    Giveaways
    Good Things Favourites
    Growers & Producers
    Guest Post
    Health
    Hummus
    Hungarian Recipe
    Ice Cream
    In My Kitchen
    Kids In The Kitchen
    Kitchen Garden
    Markets
    Meat
    Muffins
    Musings
    My Book
    My Family
    New Year
    Noodles
    Nuts
    Observations
    Olives
    Pancakes
    Pasta
    Pastry
    Pepe Saya
    Pink Martini
    Pizza
    Polenta
    Postcards And Morsels
    Poultry
    Preserves
    Prize Giveaways
    Prunes
    Reminiscences
    Retro
    Reviews
    Rice
    Ricotta
    Salad
    Salads
    Sandwiches
    Sauce
    Seafood
    Slow Cooking
    Snacks
    Soups
    Stop Hunger Start Cooking
    Sydney
    Tefal
    Thanksgiving
    Thank You
    The Barber From Budapest
    Tofu
    Travel
    Truffles
    Tweatup510064f8ec
    Tzatziki
    Valentines Day
    Vegetables
    Vinnies Christmas Appeal


    NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes. 

    Picture
    Winner ABC's 2015 Australia Cooks competition, ACT (mains category)
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Meet the Chefs - recipes featured on Australian Asparagus Council website

Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
Excerpts may be used provided that full and clear credit is given. Thank you.


Photos used under Creative Commons from alantankenghoe, riptheskull, David Jackmanson, Amani Hasan, SuntanMidori, oropeza, Annie Mole, Vegan Feast Catering, avlxyz, jeffreyw, mockstar, jenly, Syeefa Jay, pizzodisevo (therapy - terapia - Therapie), ginnerobot, cliff1066™, Jim, the Photographer
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • My book
  • Writing & Media
  • FAQs