FJORD TROUT TREATS FOR RAMADAN

Eat more protein-rich food such as Norwegian Fjord Trout during the fasting month. This sound advice came from Alexandra Prahabaran, a certified nutritionist who prepared three simple recipes at the Norwegian Seafood Council’s cooking demo recently. 

Citing Norwegian Fjord Trout as good protein source to boost overall health during the fasting month, Alexandra said: “It is important to eat food with essential vitamins and nutrients to keep your energy levels up, your mental focus clear and your body running optimally throughout the day.” 

The nutritionist also shared these tips for Ramadan:

Load Up on Protein 

Eating protein-rich foods such as Fjord Trout can sustain you longer by staving off hunger and keeping your mind focused until it’s time to break fast. Protein helps to build and repair tissues, produce enzymes and hormones, and acts as the essential building block of bones, muscle, cartilage and blood.  A high protein diet will ensure you feel full and satisfied, while your body repairs itself during Ramadhan.

Focus on Omega 3   

Partake food rich in omega-3 to keep fatigue at bay and improve your concentration. Fjord Trout is high in these fatty acids that will help you stay clear-headed throughout the day and overall mental focus in addition to improving your mood.

Healthy Fats to Burn Fat

The change in meal times during the fasting period can often put the body under stress, making our body more susceptible to weight gain around our belly. A diet rich in healthy fats such as oily Fjord Trout helps to burn excess belly fat. Instead of burning the glucose stored in our body for energy, the body will burn fat instead resulting in a slimmer and healthier overall physique.

Get the Glow

Changes to sleep and meal times during Ramadan may see our skin take a beating. Skin can appear dull and sallow but by adding more Fjord Trout into your diet, the fish oil will aid cell rejuvenation and nourish your hair, skin and nails for an overall healthy glow.

“The Norwegian Fjord Trout has become a popular fish of choice among Malaysians,” said Jon Erik Steenslid, the Norwegian Seafood Council director for South-East Asia.  “From our recent Seafood Consumer Index, an annual survey conducted by the Norwegian Seafood Council, 3 out of 4 Malaysians think it’s important to know the origin of their seafood whilst 1 out of 2 Malaysians prefer to buy Fjord Trout from Norway.”

Now widely available in markets, supermarkets and seafood stores in Malaysia, the Norwegian Fjord Trout is similar to salmon but its deep red-orange flesh with white marbling gives the fish fillets a luxuriant feel. Norwegian Fjord Trout also has a remarkably rich flavour, with a pure aftertaste. It has a lustrous and silvery skin and can grow up to 2.5 kilos; slightly smaller than salmon.

Norway has the perfect living conditions for Fjord Trout thanks to ice-cold waters with fjords stretching deep into the country’s coastline. Farmed in the ocean, the Trout is raised in pure, cold Norwegian fjords where seawater meets fresh meltwater from the glaciers and snow; a process meeting the highest environmental and sustainability standards.

A world-renowned pioneer of modern trout and salmon farming, Norway boasts generations of experience harvesting from the sea. This gives Norwegians unique knowledge in the art of managing these resources and delivering the highest quality fish.

Norwegian Fjord Trout Recipes for Ramadan

Kaffir Chilli Norwegian Fjord Trout with Quinoa Bubur

1 Trout fillet

1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced

1 lime, sliced

1 red cili padi, sliced

1 handful cilantro (daun ketumbar)

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1 cup fish stock

1 spring onion, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Simmer cooked quinoa and fish stock in a pot till it thickens into porridge consistency. While that is cooking, place trout with kaffir lime leaf, lime, cili padi, and cilantro on a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, wrap it up tight and bake at 200C for 15 mins. Put porridge in a bowl. Once the trout is cooked, remove from the oven and place on top of the porridge. Sprinkle with spring onion to serve.

Seared Norwegian Fjord Trout and Asian Potato Salad

1 Trout fillet

2 waxy potatoes, cooked

1 Tbs light soy sauce

1 Tbs sesame oil

1 spring onion, sliced

1 tsp fried shallots

1 inch ginger, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Method

Drizzle the trout with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 200C for 10 mins. Cut potatoes in cubes and set aside. Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger together and toss with potatoes. Top potatoes with spring onion and fried shallots to serve with the cooked trout.

Norwegian Fjord Trout Bakar in Banana Leaf

1 Trout fillet

1 Tbs fish curry powder

1 Tbs chilli powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp belacan, grated

Kaffir lime leaves, chopped

Olive oil

Salt, to taste

Banana leaf

Method

Mix curry powder, chilli powder, belacan, sugar and salt together. Make slits on the skin side of the trout. Rub the spice mix on it thoroughly. Push the kaffir lime leaves into the slits of the fish. Drizzle some oil on the fish and wrap with banana leaf. Roast in the oven at 220C for 15 mins. Serve with sambal on the side.

A DELICIOUS COOKING EXPERIENCE WITH NORWEGIAN FJORD TROUT

Media members who attended the recent “Cooking Norwegian Fjord Trout” Workshop at KDU University College took away some valuable tips and interesting nuggets of information. Thanks to Chef Jimmy Chok who has worked with Norwegian seafood in the past 10 years, we learned the different traits between the fjord trout and salmon such as:

• The fjord trout head is rounder while the salmon head is sharper. Also the fjord trout flesh appears in deep red-orange hue compared to that of salmon which is a paler shade of orange.

• The fjord trout grows to a weight of 2-5 kilos – generally a bit smaller than salmon. Although the skin of the fjord trout is similar to salmon, it has a lustrous, silvery colour.

• Fjord trout meat with white marbling has a healthy sheen and is firm, yet tender and mellow. Taste-wise, the fjord trout boasts a richer flavour with a pristine aftertaste of the sea.

Jon Erik Stenslid, Director, Southeast Asia, Norwegian Seafood Council also shared a video presentation on the farming of Norwegian Fjord Trout in the cold, clear waters of Norway’s fjords that stretched along its coastline.

Her Excellency Gunn Jorid Roset, the Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia

“Norway is the second largest seafood exporter in the world, and the world’s largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon and fjord trout. Harvesting from the seas has always been an important part of Norwegian culture and history. In fact, fishing was a vital premise for Norwegian pioneers to settle down and live along the cold, windy coastline,” said Stenslid.

“Seafood is a basic food source and an important trade for Norway, giving Norwegians unsurpassed knowledge and experience in handling precious treasures from the sea. Seawater meets fresh water melted from glaciers and snow to form the perfect living conditions in the ocean for the fjord trout. Over the past few years, Norwegian Fjord Trout has become increasingly popular in Malaysia due to its unique taste, health benefits and appealing red colour.”

Her Excellency Gunn Jorid Roset, the Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia, also graced the workshop and sportingly donned an apron to join in the hands-on cooking workshop.

Before our cooking stint, Chef Jimmy Chok shared various ways to cook fjord trout and salmon, highlighting how sweet, sour and spicy Asian flavours like asam pedas, masak lemak or steaming with soya sauce work well with the fish.

“Never overcook the fish” said the chef. “Both salmon and trout is best half cooked to retain the tender texture and juicy moisture within.”

He then demonstrated how to fry the trout, over medium heat, and served it with mango salsa. We were also treated to delicious samplings of the fjord trout and salmon, served sashimi-style, as well as smoked. It was a revelation for us as the difference in taste and texture was noticeable on the palate.

The Ambassador - a keen cook herself - partnered with Jon Erik Steenslid to cook up a colourful, hearty fjord trout dish. Chasingfooddreams and myself combined our efforts to replicate the same dish Chef Jimmy had demonstrated earlier.

We thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and went home knowing so much more about the versatility of the Norwegian fjord trout the skill of cooking it properly.

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) is owned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries in Norway. Headquartered in Tromsø, NSC is present in major markets around the world, aiming to increase the value of Norwegian seafood resources. NSC also oversees the administration and use of the trademark “Seafood from Norway”, a joint value for the Norwegian seafood industry.

Because consumers today are increasingly focused on the origin of food, how it is produced and how it meets concerns regarding sustainability, the “Seafood from Norway” trademark addresses such matters. The trademark is a symbol of origin and quality for all Norwegian seafood, farmed or wild caught in Norway’s cold, clear waters; leaving no doubt about the fact that Origin matters.

For more information on Norwegian Seafood, visit: https://en.seafood.no/

SEARED FJORD TROUT with MANGO POMELO SALAD &

THAI CHILI-SESAME DRESSING

200g fjord trout

Salt & pepper to taste

120g diced mango

80g pomelo

½ red onion, chopped

1 kaffir lime leaf, chopped

1 stalk spring onion, chopped

Juice from 1 lime  

100ml Thai chilli sauce

½ red onion, chopped

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Juice from 1 lime  

Garnishing: trout roe, micro herbs and cherry tomato

METHOD

Season trout with salt & pepper. Sear over medium heat until fish fillet is medium rare. Allow to rest.

Mix mango salad ingredients together. Stir well and season to taste.

Mix dressing items evenly and set aside.

To plate, spoon a heap of mango salad onto plate.

Remove skin from trout and use your hands to flake the trout. Place on top of mango salad.

Fry trout skin until crisp. Cut into triangular shards and place on top of trout fillet.

Garnish the plate with trout roe, cherry tomatoes (cut into halves) and micro herbs.

Swirl dressing around the trout using a spoon then sprinkle sesame seeds around it to serve.