Come the warmer months, anglers of all stripes begin to migrate towards high-country streams. Clad in rubberized waders, they stand for hours in the shallows and scan the flats, gingerly alighting their bait on the surface and hoping for a strike.

What could inspire such patience and devotion? The thrill of the hunt — and the beguilingly delicious mountain trout.

With over 3,000 miles of stocked or wild trout streams in Western North Carolina, the odds for good eating are excellent, whether you prefer to carry your catch home in a creel basket or a grocery bag.

"People associate our region with trout, so it’s important that we embrace it," affirms Executive Chef Rob Keener of Flight Wood Grill in Hendersonville, noting that, along with shrimp and grits, fresh mountain trout enjoys year-round demand at the restaurant.

Fortunately, our neighborhood celebrity is not as seasonal as other fish, so it is usually obtainable through retail outlets, if not directly from a woodland brook.

Rainbow trout, the most common in our area, are actually members of the salmon family. Most commercially available trout these days is aqua-farm raised. With a low-to-moderate fat content, flaky texture and delicate, often nutty flavor, this versatile fish can be baked, pan-fried, smoked or steamed. 

Sunburst Trout Company, located at the foot of Shining Rock Wilderness, has become internationally known for their farm-raised rainbow trout. Sally Eason, daughter of founder Dick Jennings, operates the business and is passionate about her product. "Farm raised rainbow trout can be as high or higher in Omega 3 than salmon," she says.

When purchasing trout, look for an aspect not usually associated with signs of freshness in a fish: a slimy skin. Sally Eason explains, "The skin should be shiny and firm, but should also be a bit oily, which is the trout’s natural protection against bacteria." Rinsing well with salt water will usually remove this slippery film.

Whether the skin is kept on or off for cooking is a personal preference, but when pan-frying, most chefs start with the flesh side down and then flip the fillet to finish. Cleaning and filleting the fish for the oven or fry pan may be the most complex aspect of preparation — the art of filleting is one that takes practice, and removing tiny pin bones is an important, and sometimes painstaking step. Unless you are a catch-’em-and-cook-’em devotee, leave that prep work to the pros.

Like many aspects of our mountain culture, trout dishes can range from rustic to elegant, and whether cooked over an open campfire or served under a silver dome on white linen, it definitely has a local flavor.

Chef Keener suggests that you keep it simple; heavy sauces can overwhelm the subtle flavor. He likes to serve the fish with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and sautéed French beans. Says Chef Keener, "Blanch your beans, then toss them with a little of the bourbon maple syrup sauce before serving."