FISH MEETS BAGEL, FISH LOSES BAGEL, FISH KEEPS SEASONING

Everything Roast Steelhead Trout. Fish meets bagel.

You’re looking at the bastard child of an Everything Bagel and a steelhead trout. And it’s damned tasty.

A casual observer seeing a chunk of steelhead in the fishmonger’s refrigerated case might think he’s looking at a piece of salmon. But steelhead is a variety of rainbow trout. Like salmon, it swims upstream to spawn. Like salmon, its krill-rich diet gives its flesh a characteristic pink-orange hue. You could say that calling one “trout” and calling the other “salmon” is a distinction without a difference... except that steelhead is typically less expensive, more sustainable, and in greater supply than salmon, which suffers from overfishing. (Sure, you can get farmed salmon, but... feh.) And tastewise, my experience with steelhead has been uniformly positive.

In case any of my Esteemed Readers are unfamiliar with the Everything Bagel, be advised that there are certain Canonical Bagel Varieties. For starters, you have the venerable Plain. Then there are various toppings: Poppyseed, Sesame Seed, Garlic, Onion, Salt. To complicate matters further, there are dough-based variations: Pumpernickel, Egg, and Whole Wheat.

[You will note that I make no mention of such ridiculous creations as Cinnamon-Raisin, Jalapeño, Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, and other similar chimerical inventions. If that sort of bagel appeals to you, feel free to go to the Bagel Shop of Doctor Moreau and enjoy them there.]

The Everything Bagel simply makes use of all of the toppings at once, generally on a plain dough substrate. (The Pumpernickel Everything bagel, a relatively recent innovation at the local Smoked Fish and Bagel Emporium, is a winning variation.)

Bagels - especially Everything Bagels - go well with smoked salmon. Why wouldn’t roasted steelhead trout (if it looks like a salmon, spawns like a salmon, and swims like a salmon, it’s a salmon) taste great if decked out with the same seasonings that adorn the Everything Bagel?

To make Everything Steelhead, simply season a fillet of steelhead with Montreal Steak Seasoning, then add a sprinkling of sesame seeds (I used both black and white sesame seeds). Roast in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until barely cooked through. Top with a liberal sprinkling of chopped fresh dill and serve it forth.

Bagels (or other breadstuffs) are optional.