This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
Whenever I hear people talk about their favorite types of fish, salmon almost always tops the list. But where’ the love for trout? I find that many of us overlook trout as a tasty fish to incorporate into our meal plans, and believe it or not, can be a more economical choice than salmon. If you haven’t tried cooking trout before, try this Trout with Green Garlic Relish as a quick and easy summertime dinner.
Check out the fishmonger at your local market
Don’t limit your farmers market purchases to produce only. It is important to consume high quality proteins as well, and fish is no exception. I prefer purchasing wild-caught, not farmed, fish and incorporating this into my diet.
Most fish sold at the market are flash frozen on the boat; this is actually the safest way to transport fish, and does not affect the nutrition or flavor of the fish. I would be skeptical of fish that is “never frozen,” as it must be incredibly fresh, like caught that morning, and extreme care must be taken when transporting the fish to the market. Be sure to ask your fishmonger about how the fish made it to the market.
Wild-caught fish is also pretty seasonal. It’ll depend on your area, but Foodwise has a great seasonality chart for fish caught in Northern California.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Trout
Did you know that all trout fishes are a part of the salmon family? Trout, generally, is a fatty fish that can be found in both saltwater and freshwater environments. Whether you live in the center of the country or on the coasts, some variety of trout should be readily available. If you find that salmon is too fishy flavored, you may find that trout is more mild on that ocean flavor.
This recipe will easily work with any fish in the trout family: lake trout, steelhead trout, and rainbow trout are all good choices. If you live near the coast and have an ocean-based fishmonger at your farmers market, feel free to substitute with salmon, char, or any other fatty fish. The green garlic relish has a strong acidic flavor, so I do not recommend pairing it with white fishes, like cod.
Green Garlic
Green garlic, or baby garlic, is an immature garlic plant that is harvested before the bulb has a chance to develop. It looks a lot like a scallion, but has a mild garlic flavor. While I hardly ever (never?) see green garlic at the grocery store, I do find it often throughout the late spring to summer at the farmers market. The whites and light green portions are perfect for quick pickling.
If you cannot get green garlic, use scallions or spring onions. If ramps are available in your area, those will work as well. These onions will bring an allium flavor similar to the green garlic when they are pickled in the relish.
If you wound up with a large bunch of green garlic and don’t want it to go to waste, add my lemon potatoes to your meal plan for the week.
Radishes
Radishes are pungent, spicy root vegetables. There are so many different varieties of radishes that you’ll see at the farmers market: Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, and Easter Egg are all common radish varieties you’ll see at the market. Most of the differences between these types is in the color, but there may be a few subtle flavor differences as well. I find the French Breakfast radishes to be slightly more mild than Cherry Belles.
Use any radishes you have on hand to make the relish in this recipe.
Have a lot of leftover radishes? Try braising them in this Whole30 side dish.
Tips and Tricks
Searing trout with the skin on is similar to searing salmon. Start with the skin side down, and don’t move the fillets until the skin releases itself from the pan. You only get one chance to get the skin crispy, so be patient and mindful when searing the trout.
Serving Suggestions
I served this trout on a bed of sautéed spinach with leftover green garlic from my farmers market purchases. Because trout is so rich in flavor, I suggest pairing it with a lighter vegetable side.
My Whole30 Shaved Asparagus Salad is another easy side to make that pairs well with the trout. This salad is extremely fast to prepare, so it is a great last minute meal addition.
What about the leftovers?
While I try to plan out many of my meals to not have leftovers, it still happens. With this kind of a dish, I suggest saving the two different parts separately.
Any leftover seared trout can be saved in the refrigerator overnight. Add it to an omelet for breakfast the next morning. Or, add the leftover trout to a risotto dish the next day. The key thing, though, is that the crispy skin won’t stay crispy, and the trout won’t last long in the fridge. Use it quickly.
The green garlic relish can be saved in a separate container in the refrigerator for several days. This relish can be used with any rich meats or fish dishes; any leftovers could be easily used as a garnish for a barbacoa or braised beef dishes. The acidic punch will really balance any of these dishes.
Trout with Green Garlic Relish
If you haven't tried cooking trout before, try this Trout with Green Garlic Relish as a quick and easy summertime dinner.
Ingredients
Green Garlic Relish
- 3 stalks green garlic
- 2 radishes
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Seared Trout with Crispy Skin
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 4 trout fillets
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
Green Garlic Relish
- Chop the white and light green portions of the green garlic stalks. Save the dark green portions for a garnish on another dish.
- Cut the radishes in half and finely slice.
- Mix the red wine vinegar with white pepper and kosher salt. Pour liquid over the chopped green garlic and radishes and set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
Seared Trout with Crispy Skin
- Heat avocado oil in a cast iron pan on high.
- Completely dry trout fillets, and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt.
- Place trout in cast iron pan, skin side down. Do not crowd the pan; if you have a smaller cast iron pan, sear the trout in two batches.
- Once the trout skin has become golden and crispy, flip trout over in the pan and turn the heat off. Leave trout in the pan for an additional 2 minutes to finish cooking.
- Serve trout skin side up and top with the green garlic relish.
Delicius recipe, thank you! Wishes from Lithuania!