Baked Trout

We all know fish is good for us but for some reason there seems to be this general conception that fish is tricky to make so it becomes a once-in-a-while or never home cooked meal.  No more, my friends, no more.  Trout is one of the fish lowest in mercury, it is a lean protein and its pretty good for you too.  Here's how I like to prepare it.

First, always rinse your fish off so that you don't have any scales or yuks in on the flesh of the fish.  Pat it dry with a (recycled) paper towel and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (easier to clean and your not using canned spray).  Drizzle each piece with a touch of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and an array of your favorite spices.  I like things hot so I typically use: ancho chili pepper, chipotle chili pepper, paprika, cayanne pepper, parsley and on occasion tarragon.  If you don't enjoy the heat, tarragon and parsley make a great combo on trout... it will give the trout a buttery taste.

I bake the trout in the oven at 375 for about 6-7 minutes and then broil for 1-2 minutes.

When I made the trout tonight (pictured above), my sides were sauteed swiss chard and button mushrooms and creamy brown rice with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Give trout a try and you will see how quick and easy a fish dinner can be.