Fish
Steelhead
A tier
Steelhead is the anadromous form of rainbow trout that migrates to sea and returns larger, richer, and more salmon-like in colour and oil. Flesh is deep pink-orange with a clean, robust salmonid flavour prized on the US West Coast. Roast, grill, or cure like salmon; portions are generous. Wild steelhead is tightly regulated and often catch-and-release—use only legal commercial or carefully managed sources. Farmed “steelhead” in some markets is large rainbow trout sold under that name—still excellent eating when quality is high.
Track this ingredient
Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
History
Pacific Northwest cultures and later commercial fishers valued returning steelhead.
Sport fishing elevated steelhead while dams and habitat cut many runs.
Farmed large rainbow labelled steelhead supplied restaurants with salmon-like trout.