Cooking with Norwegian Fjord Trout for Ramadan

Keeping healthy is so important during Ramadan and you can do this by ensuring your diet is full of essential vitamins and other nutrients to keep your energy levels up, your mental focus clear and your body running optimally throughout the day. One fresh ingredient you should include in your diet for the fasting month is the Norwegian Fjord Trout.

Its red orange flesh is packed with Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, B12 and D, iodine and selenium. The trout is also rich in protein which will help keep you full longer, and working together with Omega 3, help boost your mental focus, skin and overall health.

Nutritionist Alexandra Prabaharan drew attention to these facts as she demonstrated three quick and easy recipes using Norwegian Fjord Trout to the media at Le Sucre Studio in Kuala Lumpur last week. These were: Kaffir Chilli  Norwegian Fjord Trout with Quinoa Bubur, Seared Norwegian Fjord Trout and Asian Potato Salad and Norwegian Fjord Trout Bakar in Banana Leaf.

Earlier Jon Erik Steenslid, the Norwegian Seafood Council director for South-East Asia, presented facts and figures in a video on the Fjord Trout farmed in the ocean, in the pure, cold Norwegian fjords where seawater meets fresh meltwater from the glaciers and snow, and meeting the highest standards in regard to the environment and sustainability.

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

The Norwegian Fjord Trout is similar to salmon but its flesh has a deep red-orange colour with white marbling that gives the fillets a luxurious feel. It’s remarkably rich in flavour, with a pure aftertaste. It has a lustrous and silvery skin like salmon and grows to a weight of 2.5 kilos, which is a bit smaller than salmon.

At the cooking demonstration Alexandra showed how in a jiffy nutritious and delectable dishes can be turned out with the fjord trout, with minimal fuss. The cooking was done in the oven, which left little cleaning up. This means the trout can be easily prepared for sahur, and for breaking fast. The trout goes well with spices and local herbs too, giving it delicious Malaysian flavours.

Here are Alexandra’s recipes with Norwegian Fjord Trout for Ramadan

Kaffir Chilli  Norwegian Fjord Trout with Quinoa Bubur

1 Trout fillet

1 kaffir lime leaf, sliced thin

1 lime, sliced

1 red chili padi, sliced

1 handful cilantro (daunketumbar)

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1 cup fish stock

1 spring onion, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method: Place the cooked quinoa and fish stock in a pot and let simmer till it thickens into a bubur consistency. While that is cooking, place in a piece of aluminium foil the trout with the kaffir lime leaf, lime, chili padi, and cilantro. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap up tight and bake in the oven at 200C for 15mins. Put the bubur in a bowl. Once the trout is cooked remove from the oven and place some on top of the bubur and sprinkle with some 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 a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 200C for 10mins. While that is cooking cut the potatoes in cubes and set aside. Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger. Toss with the potatoes. Top the potatoes with spring onion and fried shallots and 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 the curry powder, chilli powder, belacan, sugar and salt together. Make slits on the skin side of the trout. Rub the spice mix on thoroughly. Push the kaffir lime leaves in the slits of the fish. Drizzle some oil on the fish and wrap with banana leaf. Roast in the oven at 220C for 15mins. Serve with sambal on the side.

Here’s Alexandra’s take on how the Norwegian Fjord Trout can keep you healthy during Ramadan.

Protein: Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. It helps to build and repair tissues, make enzymes and hormones and it’s the essential building block of bones, muscle, cartilage and blood.  A diet high in protein will ensure you feel full and satisfied, while your body will benefit from enough building blocks to repair itself fully during Ramadan.

Omega 3’s boost mental focus: During the fasting month it is particularly important to eat foods rich in Omega-3 as this will help keep fatigue at bay and improve your concentration. Fjord Trout is high in these fatty acids which will help you stay focused throughout the day and improve your mood and overall mental focus.

Healthy fat burns belly fat: The change in meal times during the fasting period can often put the body through stress and may cause you to put on weight in areas such as our belly. Consuming a diet rich in healthy fats such as the oily Fjord Trout helps to burn excess belly fat. Instead of burning the glucose stores in our body for energy, the body will burn fat instead. This will result in a slimmer and healthier you.

Promote glowing skin: Change in sleep schedules along with mealtimes happens during Ramadan. The skin can appear dull and sallow during this period.  Add more Fjord Trout to your diet as the fish oil in it aids cell rejuvenation and nourish your hair, skin and nails for an overall healthy glow.