Rainbow Trout Baked in Foil With Tomatoes, Garlic and Thyme

By Martha Rose Shulman

Published August 14, 2012

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(695)
Comments
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My friend Christine always makes salmon prepared this way when I arrive at her home in Provence after my long trip from California. It’s a great dish to make when you don’t know exactly when guests are going to arrive, as everything can be prepared in advance and the fish can be baked at the last minute. I’ve adapted Christine’s salmon recipe to rainbow trout, which are farmed in a sustainable way and less expensive than wild salmon.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Extra virgin olive oil for the foil

  • 4 small rainbow trout, boned

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes in season, peeled, seeded and chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 4 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme

  • Chopped fresh parsley or thyme for garnish

  • Lemon wedges for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

7 grams carbs; 200 milligrams cholesterol; 598 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 31 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1108 milligrams sodium; 69 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, or 8 sheets of lighter foil, into squares that are 3 inches longer than your fish. If using lighter foil, make 4 double-thick squares. Oil the dull side of the foil with olive oil and place a trout, skin side down, on each square. Season both sides with salt and pepper and open them out flat.

  2. Step 2

    In a bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over the middle of each trout. Place 1 or 2 sprigs of thyme on top, and fold the two sides of the trout together. Drizzle ½ teaspoon olive oil over each fish.

  3. Step 3

    Making sure that the trout are in the middle of each square, fold the foil up loosely, grab at the edges and crimp together tightly to make a packet. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, checking one of the packets after 10 minutes. The flesh should be opaque and pull apart easily when tested with a fork.

  4. Step 4

    Place each packet on a plate. Carefully cut across the top to open it, taking care not to let the steam from inside the packet burn you. Gently remove the fish from the packet and pour the juices over. Sprinkle with parsley or thyme and serve, passing the lemon wedges.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: You can prepare the fish and make the foil packets several hours ahead. Keep in the refrigerator until shortly before cooking.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
695 user ratings
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Comments

Ric Crabbe

Nice, fast weeknight meal. Not substantially different from any of the 100s of other fish en papillote recipes I've seen. This is more of a 'particular example of a general paradigm', than a recipe in its own right. "Wrap fish with salt, oil, aromatics, and a little liquid. bake until done."

MJ

Delicious week night meal. I didn't make the tomato mixture but instead sprinkled some minced garlic on the fish and then put sliced tomatoes (seeds and peel!) on top. I placed a sprig of rosemary (as that is what we had in the garden) on top. It turned out perfectly.

Lee

This is improved with fire roasted salsa instead of tomatoes. Low in calories too.

Andie

I added thin sliced zucchini (quarters), tomato olives and some other herbs like cilantro or oregano in addition to the garlic and it came out delicious. It had to cook a bit longer due to the zucchini but the fish was very moist.

Millie

I loved it! I used a full pint of grape tomatoes chopped up (no reason to seed and skin in my opinion) on steelhead trout. Served with asparagus and rice for a delicious springy meal - whole family devoured!

Sheila38

Made this with rainbow trout and local tomatoes. Way too much liquid from either the trout or the tomatoes. Literally swimming in liquid…no pun intended. Maybe better with cooked tomatoes or fried.

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