History

The Corrib River flowing from Lough Corrib through Galway city to the sea has been fished for wild brown trout and Atlantic salmon for centuries. The Claddagh fishing village at the river mouth managed the trout and salmon fishery under its own customary law. Wild brown trout from the Corrib has a distinctly sweet, clean flavour from the clear limestone-filtered water of Lough Corrib, quite different from farmed trout. The dish appears on menus at Ballynahinch Castle and at seasonal Galway restaurants that buy direct from licensed Corrib gillies.

Common allergens: Fish, Milk, Tree nuts

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 20 minTotal 25 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 whole wild or river-reared brown trout, 300-400g each, gutted and cleaned
  • 60g salted Irish butter
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • 1 lemon, zested and halved
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • Sea salt and white pepper
  • A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
  • Irish rapeseed oil for frying

Method

  1. Score the trout with 3 diagonal cuts on each side. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.
  2. Dust lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.
  3. Heat rapeseed oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the trout.
  4. Fry 4 minutes without moving. Turn carefully and cook 3-4 minutes on the second side until the skin is crisp and the flesh flakes easily.
  5. Remove trout to warm plates. Wipe the pan clean.
  6. Add butter to the pan over medium heat; it will foam. Add almonds; cook until the butter turns nut-brown and almonds are golden.
  7. Squeeze in the lemon juice; it will spit. Add lemon zest and parsley.
  8. Spoon the beurre noisette over the trout immediately and serve with boiled Connacht potatoes.

Tip from the editors. Trout continues to cook from residual heat; pull it from the pan while the thickest part is still slightly translucent. Rest 2 minutes and it will be perfect.

Where to eat corrib river brown trout

Corrib River Brown Trout in Galway

Oscar's Seafood Bistro ★ 4.7

Seafood€€westendMon-Thu 17:30-21:30, Fri-Sat 17:30-22:00

Oscars Seafood Bistro on Dominick Street Galway seats just 30 and fills nightly; the wild Atlantic fish board and ten-dish menu is the best value in Galway.

Why locals love it: A 34-cover room on Upper Dominick Street that serves Galway finest wild-caught seafood with no walk-in space.

Tip: Book two weeks ahead for Friday dinner; the lobster bisque is the standout first course.

22-23 Upper Dominick Street, Galway, H91 P6T8

Aniar 1 ★ ★ 4.9

Tasting menuChef JP McMahon€€€€€125westendTue-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 16:30-21:00Book 3-4 weeks ahead

Aniar in Galway has held one Michelin star since 2012; JP McMahon serves tasting menus on foraged herbs, cured west-coast fish and Connacht smoked meats.

Order: The tasting menu, which changes with each day's wild and local produce from Connacht

Tip: Book Tuesday to Saturday; the kitchen is closed Sunday and Monday.

53 Lower Dominick Street, Galway, H91 V4DP Book →

Hooked ★ 4.3

Irish€latin-quarterSun 09:00-17:00

Hooked on Market Street Galway has a small-cod supper under €11; sustainably-sourced haddock makes it the conscience-friendly budget option in Galway.

Try: Wild Atlantic fish tacos and fresh-fish sandwiches under €12

Order: Wild Atlantic haddock sandwich with house-made tartare, pickled cucumber and caper butter

2 Market Street, Galway, H91 D3T2

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