Coral trout is one of Australia’s most popular fish. It’s fished commercially, with huge boats going out towards the coast to bring thousands of them back to the shore to sell to the bars and restaurants ready to serve it up. It’s is also caught often by amateur fishermen who’ve taken to fishing recreationally, often popping up as a delicious treat for families who’ve been waiting for their fishing relative to get home from his relaxing adventures. Because of its nearly ubiquitous nature in Australia, it’s an extremely popular dish that most likely many Australians are extremely familiar with, and it’s most likely a fish with quite a few different ways to cook it: no matter who you talk to you, they’ll tell you that their mum or their dad had the best recipe in town.
As the old saying goes however, familiarity can breed contempt. Because coral trout is so widely used in Australia and is so widely available, it can sometimes be the case that it begins to seem stale. So many restaurants and so many families cook it that it can become a type of fish that loses its lustre to the average restaurant goer – they look at a menu and aren’t really enthused when they see it there. They opt for a different fish because they think that they’ve had all the different types of coral trout there are to try, and they go for another fish or dish instead. The same happens to families who go shopping: instead of buying coral trout, they go for another fish that seems like it might be a bit more exciting or new for a palate that is ostensibly a bit tired of coral trout.
In reality, however, coral trout has a great deal of ways to be cooked. It’s a very versatile fish that has firm, moist flesh with a very sweet, delicate flavour that’s well received by many. That means that it can fit into a wide variety of different recipes and dishes, many of which you may not have tried before. If you’ve already written off coral trout as a fish you don’t want to order or buy at the store simply because you’ve had it many times before, you may want to think again about ordering it or throwing it into the trolley.
Going Through The Different Methods Of Cooking Coral Trout
Because of coral trout’s excessive versatility, it can be cooked in a variety of ways. Some of these include:
Steaming
Baking
Pan searing
Beer battering
Poaching
You’re probably familiar with a few of these types of cooking for your coral trout. It’s probably even likely that your favourite restaurant or favourite traditional family recipe is based on one of the types of cooking above. What you may not have thought about, however, is branching out into a different type of cooking when it comes to your trout! Do you always beer batter your coral trout? Try pan searing it for a completely different taste and texture. If you prefer a softer, sweeter taste for your trout, why not go for a succulent, oven baked recipe? The key here is to try a method of cooking the coral trout that you haven’t tried before, a method that will open up the flavour of the trout in a different way than you’re used to!
For example, many people are used to their coral trout being beer battered: it’s how it’s often served in bars, pubs, and restaurants, making it a very common and very recognisable form of cooking the fish. If you’re tired of beer battered trout, however, why not try poaching the fish? The fish is succulent enough on its own that its flavours survive the poaching process. The fish also goes very well with butter when it’s been poached, as well: use a butter based sauce with your poached or steamed trout along with a little bit of garnish and you’ve got yourself a very good recipe that’s not only different from what you might be used to in restaurants but also something that tastes great and is easy to make!
A Sample Coral Trout Recipe For You To Use At Home
If you’re still not sure as to how you want to cook your coral trout, here’s a sample recipe that you might enjoy at home:
¼ cup of black bean sauce
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of oyster sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
1 crushed clove of garlic
2 kg of whole coral trout
2 medium-sized lemons
2 sliced red chillies
1 cup of chicken stock
Steamed rice, to serve
Method
First off, combine all the sugar, ginger, oils, garlic, and sauces in a smallish bowl.
Take the fish and place it on a wire rack, and take the rack and place it in a baking dish. Fill the fish’s cavity with six wedges of cut lemons. Cut three holes in the thickest part of both sides of the fish and use a brush to brush it with a tablespoon of the black bean sauce. Place some loose baking paper and foil over the fish, and bake it at around 200 C for about fifty minutes.
While the fish is baking, heat the rest of the black bean sauce in a saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring it to a boil and them let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or up to the point where it’s thickened slightly.