Food Talk
Cooking trout is a fine art
Pushpesh Pant

With the good doctors spreading the scare about red meat "forgotten" fish has begun to found favour with health-conscious diners. This white flesh is even better than chicken. It is exceptionally rich in Omega 3 oils that can vanquish cholesterol.

Everyone has a favourite fish. You can have riots in Kolkata if the beloved ilich (the hilsa) is scarce and the snooty phoren palats nowadays throw a tantrum if their macchi tikka is not chiselled from salmon. Those landlubbers who can’t negotiate the bones too well are happiest when rohu is served fry or curry. (They are in good company — Babur, the founder of Mogul dynasty, too had found most fish in Hindustan bothersome). The anglers love to talk about the big mahasher that they had hooked on the Ramganga — the same that got away.

Most of us need expert assistance to buy the unfamiliar species — singhada, surmai and betki, sole are better known than pabda, cheetal, mangur. The realm of sea fish requires separate exploration — pomfrets black and silver are the perennial favourites but there are many more — the swordfish, the monkfish, the lady fish each with a distinct personality of its own. This too is just skimming the surface.

For us, it is the trout that has always been the most exciting. Perhaps it is the name — the rainbow trout that casts a magic spell. Or, is it the recollection of the thrilling sight — a young trout jumping out of the water of swift flowing rivulet to sparkle for a brief moment in bright sunlight?

Cooking trout is a fine art esoteric and full of snobbery in the West. Jean Giono, connoisseur of trout, has commented upon a classic dish, "never with butter, never with almonds, that is not cookery that is cardboard making." The only method he favoured was trout au beau. The master chef Laguipiere once served emperor Napoleon grilled trout marinated in olive oil and lemon with a sauce seasoned with nutmeg. Another master tried to outshine this by stuffing the fish with truffle and celery before poaching it in bouillon sprinkled with port. We feel all this is culinary overkill. The fish is enjoyed best without excessive adornments. That is the reason why we fell in love with the tandoori trout dished out at the Punjabi By Nature in Delhi recently. We are happy to share the recipe with our readers. The grilled variation can be easily prepared at home.

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