The Fish We Cook: Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout

TROUT, BROOK

A small member of a large family of fish, the brook trout can be found under such names as brookie, salter, squaretail, and golden speckled or native trout. A member of the salmon family, the brook trout averages only 8 ounces and 8 to 10 inches in length but has been known to grow to 14½ pounds and 31 inches. It can be found in cold streams and ponds throughout eastern United States. The brook trout is greenish to brown in color with a specked sides and reddish fins and belly. It is the state fish of Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia The brook trout has a firm flaky flesh with a very mild flavor and a moderate fat content and remains moist after cooking. The best way to cook brook trout is to bake, sauté, broil, steam, pan fry or poach.

TROUT, RAINBOW

The rainbow trout is the most abundant member of the freshwater trout family and is found in cool clear waters throughout the western United States. It is native only to states west of the Rocky Mountains and is very important for both sport and commercial fishing. Commercially it is generally a farmed raised fish. It is a close relative of the other small trout such as the dolly varden and the cutthroat trout and is actually a member of the salmon family. It can be found under such names as bow, coaster, red sides, summer salmon and salmon trout. It is a torpedo shaped fish that has a blueish-green or yellow-green color with distinguishing broad horizontal reddish band. The rainbow trout averages only 8 ounces but can grow to 37 pounds and 40 inches in length. The rainbow trout occasionally leaves its freshwater habitat and lives in the ocean. There it takes on a grayish color and salmon colored meat. After two to three years the rainbow returns to freshwater to spawn. When it returns to freshwater it is known as steelhead or salmon trout because of its color change. The steelhead and the rainbow trout are the same species. The meat of the rainbow trout will have more flavor the larger it gets. The steelhead, one that has lived in the ocean, will have more flavor than the rainbow. The rainbow trout has a firm flaky flesh that is very mild in flavor and has a moderate fat content. The best way to cook is to oven fry, bake, broil, pan fry or steam.

The Fish WE Cook, Tuna

ALBACORE TUNA

The albacore tuna is the choicest of the four kinds of tuna. Its flesh is light in color and mild flavor is the reason it has been given the name "chicken of the sea", and it is the only tuna that can be sold as white meat tuna in the United States. It is also known under the names of albacore fish, ahi, tombo, binnaga, tunny or long fin tuna. The albacore can be distinguished by its long pointed tail, its metallic blue back and its silvery bottom. Found in the temperate waters off the shores of southern California, the albacore averages 10 to 60 pounds but has been known to reach 93 pounds and 5 feet in length. It is a very important fish both commercially and for sport fishing. It has a rather chewy, layered meat with a mild flavor and a high fat content. After cooking it will have a light tan color and can be a little dry if over cooked. The best way to cook albacore tuna is to sauté, pan fry, oven fry, bake, broil, poach or grill.

BLUEFIN TUNA

Bluefin tuna can be found in most warm, temperate seas throughout the world and are abundant from Alaska to California on the west coast of the United States. Like the other varieties of tuna it is a very fast, strong swimmer and traveling in schools they inherit the name" wolves of the sea". They have a dark green or blue colored back with a silver belly and yellowish tinges on its tail and average 15 to 80 pounds but have been known to top the scales at 1600 pounds and 14 feet in length. Also known as horse mackerel, the bluefin has a grayish or pinkish meat that is rich in flavor and a higher oil and fat content than the other varieties of tuna. The best way to cook bluefin is to bake or poach.

SKIPJACK TUNA

Found mostly in tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the skipjack is the smallest of the tunas averaging only 4 to 24 pounds but can reach 31 pounds. It is an important fish for sport and commercial fishermen.

It has a dark metallic blue top with a silver sides and its flesh is light in color and rich in flavor and moderate in fat content. The best way to cook skipjack tuna is to saute, pan fry or broil.

YELLOWFIN TUNA

Found in most warm waters, the yellowfin tuna is largely marketed as ahi tuna. It averages 30 to 150 pounds and has been known to grow to 400 pounds. It has a blue back with yellowish tinges on its sides and receives its name from its yellow tail and belly fins. It is also found under the names of atun or tunny and is very popular off the coast of southern California. As a commercially important fish, most of the yellow fin tuna is canned. As a sport fish they are known as the toughest fighters of all of the tuna. The yellowfin has meat that is light in color and rich in flavor with a moderate fat content. The best way to cook is to bake, broil, poach or grill.