My favorite food on the planet

I’ve been a salmon addict ever since I first started coming to Seattle for training and would eat at restaurants where I would get perfectly seared salmon filets. I relished the flavors – wood/fire smoke, lemon, that crunchy bite from the caramelization – bursting on my tongue. It was worlds away from the canned salmon patties I ate while growing up back in Indiana. Now that I live here in the Pacific Northwest, where fresh fish is in abundance, I’ve become absolutely addicted to Steelhead Trout. (And no canned salmon will ever get within 20 feet of my lips again!)

Steelhead is often passed off as salmon since trout and salmon are in the same family. The taste of the two types of fish is very, very similar. Steelhead seems a bit lighter to me, and that’s why I love it so much. (Also, Steelhead and Rainbow trout are basically the same fish; it’s just that Steelheads spend their lives in salt water while Rainbows stay in fresh water.)

Steelhead Trout is my #1 go-to source of protein these days. I buy the filets at Costco and when I’m ready to cook it, I squeeze lemon juice all over it and then sprinkle on Old Bay seasoning.

A big filet ready to go into the oven.

Then I pop it in the oven. Once it’s caramelized, I switch the oven to bake and finish it off at about 350. When it’s done, it’s incredible.

May I eat it all? Right now?

I have it with everything. One big filet can last for at least a half-dozen meals. I always squeeze fresh lemon juice right over it, and that just adds to the flavor.

This morning, I made a steelhead omelet. I took about 4 ounces of steelhead and crumbled it up in a greased baking dish, then added in 2 eggs plus 1 egg white. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and then topped it all with some parmesan cheese and baked it at 350 for 30-40 minutes.