Stuffed Rainbow Trout
A complete meal that's a healthy alternative to deep frying or pan frying.
This stuffed, roasted trout always appeals to me. Growing up, I remember my dad would go fishing by the lake and return with a basket full of rainbow trout. He would gut and scale the fresh catch, then stuff them with a delicious mix of cooked rice, smoky bacon, and cherry tomatoes before baking them whole in a wood-fired oven.
If you’re not a fisherman like my dad was, you can easily buy fresh rainbow trout from the fishmonger or supermarket. Look for one weighing between 1 and 1½ pounds, scaled and gutted. Clear eyes are also a sign of freshness.
Trout cooks fairly quickly, so it’s important to cook the stuffing first. Start by rendering bacon bits until crispy. Then, using the same fat, sauté onions and garlic until golden. Add the cherry tomatoes, parsley, dill, and lemon zest, and fold in the cooked rice. Once the mixture has cooled enough to handle, spoon it generously into the trout’s cavity, packing it in tightly.
The trick is to roast the stuffed trout at a high temperature, about 430°F, for about 15 minutes. This way, the outside is caramelized but the inside is still moist, tender, and just flaking apart when pulled with a fork. The final result is a feast. The sweet richness of the fish mingling with the stuffed rice, smoky bacon, herbs, and paprika is a perfect combination.
Roasting the fish whole with its skin intact keeps the meat moist and tender. The rice infuses with the trout’s natural sweetness, giving it a rich and delicate flavor. Besides adding depth and texture, the stuffing also makes it a complete and scrumptious meal.
Serve this dish hot, straight out of the oven, accompanied by a glass of Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Rainbow trout doesn’t get better than this!
Stuffed Rainbow Trout
Ingredients
- 3 whole rainbow trout, scaled and gutted
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 ounces bacon, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons, parsley, chopped
- 6 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1.5 cup long grain rice
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 lemon, skin zested
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 430°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. In a large pot over high heat, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, for about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally until most of its fat is released. Add the onion, garlic, and cook until soft, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.
- Add the paprika, chopped parsley, and tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes are just wilted. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Transfer the stuffing to a bowl, and let cool until you can handle it with your fingers.
- Lightly season the trout cavity with salt and pepper, then stuff it generously with the rice mixture, packing it in. Place the trouts on the prepared baking tray, drizzle evenly with the remaining olive oil and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
- To serve, spoon the remainder of the rice pilaf on a large platter, and top with the stuffed trouts. Sprinkle some more chopped parsley and squeeze half a lemon cheek over the fish and the rice.