History

Rainbow trout is Colorado's state fish and the Front Range's defining freshwater plate, harvested from streams above 7,000 feet and from trout farms in the San Luis Valley. The dish entered Denver hotel restaurants in the 1880s through the railroad-era Brown Palace and Oxford Hotel kitchens. Modern Denver versions across Mercantile and Bistro Vendome lean on Colorado farmed trout from the San Luis Valley and the Western Slope. The pan-seared bone-in version with brown butter and almonds has been the canonical preparation since the 1950s.

Common allergens: Fish, Dairy, Tree nuts

Make it at home

Yield Serves 2Hands-on 20 minTotal 25 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 whole rainbow trout (about 350g each), cleaned, head and tail on
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 1 lemon, half juiced, half sliced
  • Small handful fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons flour for dusting
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method

  1. Pat trout dry. Score the skin twice on each side. Salt the cavity and outside; dust lightly with flour.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear trout 4 minutes per side, until skin is golden and crisp. Lift onto a warm plate.
  3. Wipe the pan. Melt butter over medium heat, swirling until it turns amber and smells nutty, about 90 seconds.
  4. Add almonds, toast 30 seconds. Off the heat, add lemon juice, parsley and salt.
  5. Spoon brown butter over the trout. Serve with lemon slices and a bowl of wild rice or polenta.

Tip from the editors. Trout is done when the dorsal fin pulls out cleanly with light tension. If it resists, give it 90 more seconds skin-side down.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pan-seared rocky mountain trout

Pan-seared Rocky Mountain trout in Denver

Mercantile Dining and Provision ★ 4.6

Modern American (farm-to-table)$$$lodo

Mercantile Dining and Provision in Denver is Alex Seidel's farm-to-table dining room and provisions counter in Union Station, sourced from his Fruition Farms in Larkspur.

Signature: Roasted Colorado trout, Pork loin with sweetbreads, Charcuterie board

Order: The Colorado trout from the live-fire hearth and the house-made charcuterie board, cured from Seidel's farm pork.

Tip: The market counter sells the kitchen's bread, charcuterie and produce; the morning espresso bar is the city's best Union Station coffee.

1701 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80202 Book →

Bistro Vendome ★ 4.5

French bistro$$$downtown

Bistro Vendome in Denver is Jennifer Jasinski's Larimer Square French bistro since 2003, with a courtyard patio and a menu of canonical bistro plates from Paris to Lyon.

Signature: Steak frites, Bouillabaisse, Duck confit

Order: The steak frites with bearnaise and the duck confit, both menu mainstays since opening, plus a glass of Loire Sauvignon.

Tip: The courtyard is one of Larimer Square's best-kept patios. Brunch on Sunday with the French toast is the room's busiest service.

1420 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202 Book →

Rioja ★ 4.6

Mediterranean brunch with bottomless mimosas$15-26Sat-Sun 10:00 to 14:30Resy

Rioja in Denver is Jennifer Jasinski's Larimer Square Mediterranean dining room with a weekend brunch service, lobster benedict and bottomless mimosas.

Order: The lobster benedict and bottomless mimosas.

1431 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202

More cities are in research. Want pan-seared rocky mountain trout covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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