How to clean trout and get clean fillets
The problem we often have when cooking fish is that we don't eat much of it because we're too lazy to clean it or because we don't know how. Little by little, the amount of fish we buy is decreasing, and this directly impacts our health, as we're neglecting a fundamental food in a balanced diet.
We can buy it already cleaned at the fishmonger's, but knowing how to do it at home gives you more freedom to choose whole, fresh pieces, and it's usually cheaper too. To encourage you to eat more fish at home, Karlos Arguiñano shows you his trick for properly cleaning trout and getting clean fillets.
Step 1: Remove the head
With a sharp knife, cut just behind the gills, where the head ends. Note that it's not a straight cut, as they are slightly angled.
Step 2: Open the trout
Cut from where the head was to the tail and throw away the entrails, leaving it very clean.
Step 3: Separate the loins from the spine
Place the opened trout skin-side down. Slide the knife along the backbone, from top to bottom, being careful not to cut yourself, to get all the meat. Repeat on the other side.
Step 4: Remove the spine and ribs
Lift the central spine along with the ribs and separate them from the loins with the knife held close to the bone, patiently. Try to leave as little meat as possible attached to the spine. Do it calmly.
Step 5: Check that there are no bones left
Run your fingers along each side to check for bones. Remove them with tweezers.
Final step: clean the blood off the fish with a paper towel
Remove any blood or scales with a paper towel before freezing or preparing the trout. You can rinse the fillets under cold water.
Benefits of trout
Trout is a mild-tasting fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B vitamins, and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. Like many other fish, trout is an excellent source of high-biological-value protein, easily digestible and containing all the essential amino acids the body needs.
Karlos suggests a trout Navarrese style to enjoy this flavorful fish.
History of the trout
Did you know that rainbow trout was one of the first species to be farmed? Its cultivation began in the late 19th century in California and since then it has become one of the most consumed fish worldwide.
