About Trout and Roe

Go to any fishmonger in the Mid-Atlantic that carries it, and sea trout roe could be the biggest bargain. The five sets pictured above were culled from 17 sets comprising a pound purchased recently for $3.00 from Faidley's at Baltimore's Lexington Market. Though the size and number of sets per pound may differ, the roe of white perch, flounder, and whiting have a much in common regarding both price and preparation. Practically by habit, the preparation part for me means to bread and fry. Here's my technique

SEA TROUT ROE

Saltwater trout roe
Milk
Flour seasoned with salt, freshly ground pepper, and paprika
Butter
Olive oil
Lemon wedges for garnish.

One by one, I rinse the roe sacks, cut off any little bit of hanging membrane that’s dark, then dry with paper towels. Then I dip the sacks in milk, shake off any excess and dip in the seasoned flour. Meanwhile, I’ve heated in a frying pan at medium-high equal portions of butter and olive oil until plenty hot, but not yet burned. Then it's time to toss in the breaded roe and saute till brown on one side before turning and continuing to saute until the other side is brown. All told, it should be a matter of several minutes.