Fish for Dinner: Baked Trout with Oranges, Olives and Herbs

Baked Trout with Oranges, Olives, and Herbs - orange slices were baked inside the fish to keep it moist and flavorful. You may add fresh oranges to serve, although I didn't do it here.

The Occasion: Fast, easy, and flavorful – the three must-have characteristics of a wonderful weeknight meal. We had planned to enjoy Baked Trout with Oranges, Olives and Herbs as a cozy dinner for two one night last week, but two turned to a happy threesome when a dear friend decided to join us. No worries. This recipe is impressive enough for company, and easy enough so you won’t be left out of the conversation.

The Recipe: I morphed together two separate recipes from a new-to-me website, Inspired Taste. Joanne and Adam specialize in easy to prepare dishes that pack a whole lot of flavor. I am a new fan, and recommend you go check ‘em out! 

What Makes It Special? The ease of preparation keeps me coming back again and again to fish recipes like this one. Slap your butterflied fish on a square of aluminum foil, tuck a few savory elements inside the fish, fold it all up and send it to the oven. 15 minutes later you’re loving your dinner. Bing bang boom. 

Plus the combo of sweet oranges with salty, savory olives gets my taste buds all excited.

Cinnamon is the surprise ingredient for this recipe. Love that sweet-salty combo!

Kitchen Tips: Many fish recipes are baked inside a parchment or aluminum foil pouch. It’s a great technique resulting in moist, tender fish. I am Clumsy Clementine when it comes to carefully folding the parchment paper for such a pouch, so I usually default to the foil solution. It ain’t pretty but it is effective and won’t cause my blood pressure to spike. When you want to impress company, the parchment version makes a more elegant presentation but not too foo-foo. Just place the pouch on the dinner plate, slice it open, and let your guests enjoy. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: We are big fans of baked or grilled trout at our house. So easy and versatile too. You can use lemon slices and thyme sprigs instead of the oranges and olives, or chopped onions, tomato and basil. Whatever you like, it’ll be fine. Trout is easygoing that way. And oh so delicious!

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Baked Trout with Oranges, Olives, and Herbs
Recipe Source: Adam and Joanne Gallagher for Inspired Taste
 
INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil
• 2 small rainbow trout, cleaned and butterflied (opened up with the halves still attached), about 1 pound
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup pitted olives, halved
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock, fish stock or dry white wine
• 4 thin orange slices plus more for serving
• 2-4 sprigs fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut two 16-inch squares of cooking parchment paper or use foil.
• Place one trout, skin side down, on each piece of foil. Lightly oil both sides with oil. Season both sides, inside and out, with cinnamon, salt and pepper.
• Open up the trout, like a book, and add half of the olives, two orange slices, and 1 or two sprigs of thyme.
• Season with another pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper then pour one (1) tablespoon of liquid (stock or wine) over each trout. Close up the fish.
• Fold up the foil by grabbing at the edges and crimping together in the middle and at the ends to make a packet.
• Place packets onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. checking one packet after 10 minutes. The flesh should pull apart easily with a fork.
• Place each packet on a plate. Carefully open the foil packets — take care not to let the steam burn you. Slide the fish away from the packet and onto the plate and pour juices over it. Serve with more fresh herbs and orange slices.

Do you have a favorite, easy fish dish? Tell all in the Comments, please!