This recipe for baked whole trout with herbs and lemon is incredibly delicious and easy to make. If you can get your hands on fresh rainbow trout, this is hands-off cooking at its best. Very little interference is required here. A drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs and lemon turn this fish into a restaurant-quality dish.

I am mildly obsessed and love how healthy it is too. You literally dress the trout and then bang it in the oven for 20-odd minutes. There are quite a few bones in trout which don’t bother me at all, but you can check out how to de-bone them but keep the fish whole if they do bother you.

I like the rustic look and simply slice down the backbone after cooking and butterflying the fish. Pulling the central spine out is easier this way. You can see how to fillet a cooked trout here.

Trout and potato salad is a food marriage made in heaven. I wanted a zingy dressing that works perfectly as a side dish to the unctuous trout. This herb-laden new potato salad with fennel, lemon, and crème Fraiche is creamy and delicious.

The shaved fennel and radishes add crunch. The spring onions, lemons & capers bring the acidic vibrancy to the creamy dressing which is packed with dill and parsley.

Blanched green asparagus is another perfect accompaniment here.

New potato saald with herbs, fennle, spring onions and lemon

Whole baked trout with herbs & lemon feels perfectly French and pairs perfectly with the La Motte Vin de Joie Rosé. An elegant and accessible wine designed for easy drinking and everyday life.

A potato salad dressing with lemon and herbs

2021 is a blend of 71% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre en 10% Syrah. The grapes are from different districts in the Western Cape. The Grenache comes from Riebeek Kasteel and Piekenierskloof while the Mourvedre comes from Franschhoek and the Syrah from Walker Bay.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Season the inside of the trout with salt & pepper and then stuff with a few sprigs of dill and parsley. Add a few slices of lemon in a single layer. Add a few extra slices of lemon to roast alongside the fish for serving. Drizzle olive oil all over the fish to evenly coat. Season well with salt and pepper.
Roast uncovered for 22 – 28 minutes depending on the size of the fish. I roasted mine for exactly 22 minutes and it was 900gms. This will depend on oven temperature as they will differ.
Place on a serving platter and butterfly the fish carefully removing the central spine bone (there might still be a few small bones so watch out). Drizzle with olive oil and any pan juices. Add the cooked lemon slices, season the fish and scatter over a few dill leaves or parsley.

To make the salad:

Boil the new potatoes until knife tender, drain and set aside to cool. Once cool slice in half.
Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together and adjusting the seasoning as desired. You can use some of the herbs in the dressing and some can be added directly to the salad. You can add a drizzle of olive oil too. Adjust any of the ingredients to your taste.
Toss the sliced potatoes with the fennel, radishes, spring onion, capers, herbs, and dressing. Serve with the baked trout along with blanched fresh asparagus.

Servings: 4

Author: Sam Linsell

*This post is proudly sponsored by La Motte