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A whole baked rainbow trout with citrus pan sauce.

Whole Rainbow Trout with Soy-Citrus

This dish is as easy as it gets. It's a whole rainbow trout cooked in soy citrus pan sauce, with just a few minutes of hands-on time needed to prep the ingredients and then pop it into the oven.
4.65 from 31 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 1 trout
Calories: 294kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Prep the Rainbow Trout

  • 1 rainbow trout gutted
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 to 2 lemons sliced
  • ½ red onion sliced or 1 shallot
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch Italian parsley

For the Pan Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger
  • ⅓ cup orange juice
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425°

Prep the Rainbow Trout

  • Scrape the scales off the trout and use some kitchen scissors to trim the fins off.
  • Coat the inside and outside of the trout with olive oil then salt and pepper. Stuff the fish with lemon slices, onion, garlic, and parsley.

Sear then Bake the Trout

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Place the fish in the skillet and press down firmly so the skin gets a good sear.
  • Add the butter and soy sauce to the skillet and let the butter melt (it will foam and sizzle). Tilt the pan and spoon the butter mixture over the fish. Cook for 1 minute then remove the skillet from the heat (don’t flip the fish). 
  • Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 12 to 18 minutes.

Finish the Pan Sauce

  • Remove the trout from the oven and transfer it to a platter. Leave the juices in the skillet and place the skillet on the stove over medium heat.
  • Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet and saute for just a few seconds. Add the orange juice and lemon juice, then simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce the sauce. Stir in the chopped parsley.
  • Garnish the trout with lemon wedges and serve with the pan sauce. 

Notes

  • If you purchase your whole fish in the supermarket it will already be gutted. If you catch the fish yourself, make sure you gut it as soon as possible (don't wait until you get home). Gutting the fish right away will keep it fresh and clean tasting. If you leave the entrails in the fish too long then they will degrade the fish quickly and give it an unpleasant taste and odor.
  • Gutting the fish is easy. Simply slice the belly open and pull out the entrails, row, and lungs. Give the cavity a rinse until the water runs clear.
  • Leaving the head on your fish is a personal preference. If you want to cut the head off, it won't change the cooking time. As a matter of fact, if you have a large trout, you may want to cut the head off so it fits in the skillet easier.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 912mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g