Trout eggs. Poor man's caviar.

Recently at work on the Tesco fish counter we have been encountering the brilliantly orange eggs (roe) of the rainbow trout as we gut and clean the fish for customers. I haven't had the 'guts' to actually eat any as caviar but have been impressed by their super shiny appearance. They are like little golden jewels. There are plenty of recipes for their preparation and eating on the internet and they are often spoken of as poor man's caviar. Try Pinterest too for recipes. The ones in the image below are some I photographed from trout I gutted at work.

Generally,with most caviar type products methods of preparation vary. The female roe is harvested, rinsed to remove the egg membrane, lightly salted, drained of excess liquid then packed. Many are also pasteurised to extend their shelf life by a few months. Most eggs are soft and translucent with a salty taste and grainy texture.

The Japanese enjoy the roe of the flying fish. It is called Tobiko and the delicacy is fast gaining international recognition. Like the trout roe it is naturally golden and although the flying fish roe can be served as a stand alone dish it is most often used as a garnish to sushi.