Whole fish make a stunning presentation and are easy to cook once you know how. Start with plate-sized rainbow trout or leatherjacket trunks (no heads!) and work your way up to larger whole fish recipes.
Leatherjacket trunks are a great introduction to whole fish. The coarse skin and large head (with its threatening spike) have been removed, and the thick white flakes of flesh lift easily off the bone. It’s also a very forgiving fish, remaining succulent even if you leave it in the oven for a few minutes too long.
With their colourful skin and pretty pink flesh, rainbow trout make a gorgeous centrepiece for any table. Depending what else you’re serving with them, each trout is an ideal serving for one or two people.
The easiest way to eat whole fish is to remove the meat from one side then, starting from the tail, lift the backbone away with the other bones attached, revealing the meat on the other side. Traditionally it’s considered bad luck to turn a cooked fish over.
It’s easier to tell the freshness of whole fish than it is with fillets. Look for bright, shiny skin and scales and a fresh sea smell. Bright eyes can be a good indicator too, though they will often become cloudy if they’ve had ice on them.
Remove fish from the fridge about 1 hour before cooking to let it come to room temperature.
Use paper towel to wipe the skin dry and wipe out the belly cavity to remove any traces of blood or offal. Do not wash the fish or put it under water.
Using a sharp knife, cut a few slashes through to the bone on one or both sides of the fish, angled towards the head.
See video above.
Remove fish from the fridge and set it aside, away from direct sunlight, to allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. This typically takes about 1 hour with whole fish depending on the size of the fish and the air temperature.
After cooking, fish should be ‘rested’ for a few minutes to allow the juices to return to the centre of the fish. Do this by setting it aside in a warm place (not on direct heat). This is especially important with whole fish.
