TROUT addendum

I've had a little feedback from my TROUT post, so I decided to address all concerns and questions on a new page. 

1.  How do you tell that the fish is done without overcooking? 

Don't be afraid!  Cooking whole fish can be intimidating, but once you've done it a few times you'll have a knack (and a craving) for it.  I suggest to initially undercook the trout and work from there.  Every oven is a little different, so this will take some trial and error.  Why not set your timer to 10 minutes, and then check doneness?  Use a fork to pull the flesh away from the backbone, which is the thickest part of the fish.  The flesh should be flaky and the skin should pull away from the meat easily.  If the flesh looks creamy and is resisting the fork, it needs a few more minutes.  Check after two and see the difference.  Depending on the size of the fish, I usually cook mine for 12 - 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Then, I finish the trout under the broiler to crisp up the skin.  This will quickly finish cooking the top layer of flesh, and the bottom of the trout will continue cooking from residual heat.  Fish IS delicate and can be sad if overcooked and dry, but if you keep an eye on it you'll be just fine. 

2.  Do you eat the head?

NO!  If properly cooked, the head, entire spine and little fishy ribs should easily pull away from the flesh.  I eat the top fillet first, pulling the flesh away from the bones with my fork, eating as I go.  Skin and all.  When half of the fish has been devoured, I gently lift the head and the rest of the bones follow, leaving me with the underside fillet and a perfect little fish skeleton, which I discard.  I suppose people do eat the eyeball, but bleh I do not.

3. Come on, I KNOW you're drinking wine with dinner.  Please share tasting notes.

Fair enough.  Wine was definitely consumed with this meal, and it was a delicious bottle.  Perhaps not the classic pairing with such a delicate fish, but it was tasty nonetheless.  And besides, getting too scientific with food and wine pairings takes away from the romance.

We enjoyed a bottle of Ceritas 2010 Chardonnay from the Porter Bass Vineyards, very close to our house in Guerneville.  Ceritas is the creation of John Raytek, and like any talented winemaker,  he focuses on the quality of the soil, the vineyards, and fruit above all else.  His wines are expressions of place, of terroir, and the result is exceptional.  This Chardonnay is pretty.  Its femininity shows with notes of elderflower and lavender, which are complimented by lively lemony acidity and soft chalkiness.  The mouthfeel is slightly round - a lady with curves and a bit of a strut.  With the trout it was lovely, and it would be lovelier still with a richer dish.  I'm imagining crab cakes or pork tenderloin or a bite of nutty cheddar cheese.  Cheers!