My husband came home from his
fishing trip today with three (3) large Rainbow Trout. These were large
12-ounce (without the heads) trout. Too big to make Pan-Fried Trout,
so I decided to oven bake them instead.
Actually I was glad because when my husband frys trout in the kitchen,
he makes such a mess! These baked trout were so good that my
husband said we should always cook trout this way. Bingo!
Oven-Baked Rainbow Trout
Recipe Type:
Trout,
Fish,
Wine
Yields: 2 to 3 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
2 to 3 whole Rainbow Trout, cleaned (head can be off), gills removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Thinly-sliced lemons
1 cup pinot noir
wine
*
* Use any light red or white wine of your choice. As
the trout meat is very delicate, you need to use a light wine that won't
overbear the trout. My husband and I grown pinot noir grapes and make wine, so
this was our choice.
Preparation:
My husband cleaned the trout just after he caught them by gutting them, cutting off
the gills, and most importantly, scraping off the blood line off the backbone. I also want the head cut off!
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How To Clean Fresh-Caught Trout:
First you need to
cut the head off just before the Pectoral fin (this fin can be
nipped off or left on). This is an optional step, as some
people want the head left on when cooking.
Hold fish with
belly facing up. Using your fillet knife, cut from the anal hole
forward towards where the head was or still is.
After pulling out
the entrails, take an old tooth brush and clean the blood vein that
runs along the spine. If that is not cleaned out it, will effect the
taste.
Rinse the trout thoroughly (inside and out) and
prepare to cook as you wish.
NOTE: If you like to eat the fish skin, make sure you remove all the fish scales
before cooking. With the trout held
firmly by the tail, scrape very firmly from the tail to the gills several times
on both sides with a sharp knife. I, personally, like to have my trout scaled
before cooking.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
When ready to cook, rinse the
cleaned trout under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Drying will prevent the
fish from steaming when you cook it.
Cut a few diagonal slashes along each side of the
fish.
Place a large piece of aluminum foil in a large baking dish. Brush the foil with
some olive oil. Place some of the lemon slices on the bottom of the baking dish.
In the cavity of each Rainbow Trout, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and add some
lemon slices. Lay the prepared trout on top of the lemon slices in the
bottom of the baking dish. Lightly rub the top of the trout with some olive oil. Place additional lemon slices on top of the trout. Pour the wine around the trout. Bring the aluminum foil up and
tightly around the baking dish.
Baked
approximately 30 to 35 minutes (depending on the size of your fresh trout).
To test for doneness when cooking the
trout,
insert a fork at the thickest point of the fish. Perfectly cooked fish is nearly
opaque, should be very moist, and will flake easily with a fork. Fish that looks
slightly dry is overcooked. Undercooked fish will look translucent and raw. If
you have a
digital meat thermometer, the internal temperature in the center of the
fillet should reach 140ºF.
When done, remove from oven, remove from the
aluminum foil, and serve on individual serving plates.
Makes 2 to 3 servings.
