Whole Roasted Rainbow Trout with Lemon and Parsley

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Fancy, easy, and delicious. What more could you want! Whole Roasted Rainbow Trout stuffed with lemons and parsley for an easy, elegant dinner.

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Is it just me or is serving up individualized meals for dinner just so much more satisfying? I always feel much more accomplished when each person gets their own individual quail or cornish game hen.

Maybe it’s just because they’re cute. Or maybe it’s because I don’t have to whack it apart and carve it before I serve it to anyone.

Whatever the reason, these whole roasted rainbow trout fill me with the same joy whenever I make them. (For anyone who has qualms about eating things with faces still attached, try this Sesame-Crusted Ahi Tuna or Honey Wasabi Glazed Salmon instead. You’ll be happier!)

The bonus is they are fairly easy and quick to make, especially if your fishmonger does most of the hard work for you. Try to buy your fish pre-scaled and cleaned. This means the lovely folks behind your local fish counter will remove all the icky guts from your fish. Cut off all the slimy scales. And trim the spiky fins away. (You may have to tell them to leave the head and tail on or you’ll end up with filets. Which, while delicious, don’t have the same elegant effect on the dinner table!)

So, assuming you have a cleaned and scaled fish already, these are a breeze. (If you are one of those poor unfortunates who is now stuck with a whole un-gutted fish Here’s some help!)

Keep in mind all of this prep can be done a few hours in advance. So you can prep the whole fish before you even shower and change for company. Then you just need to pop it in the oven. It really is that easy.

You’ll want to wash the fish yourself, just to be sure. Pat it dry. Cut it. Oil it. And then proceed with seasoning and get it ready for the oven.

The cutting is really key. You need a sharp knife. I’m not exaggerating here. You need one. Trust me. Trying to slice through fish skin with an unsharp knife will only lead to heart ache. And probably a few nicks and cuts on your own hands. (Yes, sharp knives actually cause fewer kitchen injuries than dull ones!)

Vasiliy got first-hand experience with this as he watched me slice and hack away at these poor fish with a dull knife. Weeping, yelling, banging away at them and cursing the creation of skin.

(I admit to being hard to live with at times. Daisy makes up for this by being equally hard to live with. She turned her nose up at these fish like they were dirt. Why do I try.)

After witnessing this less-than-stellar performance of mine, he bought me my new knife sharpener because he’s a good boyfriend. (Be like Vasiliy. Buy your loved one a knife sharpener. Or buy yourself one.)

I’m pretty picky about kitchen equipment. But I highly recommend his choice! The Krüger Diamond Knife Sharpener has three separate levels of sharpening: coarse, fine, and super fine.

Each of these three levels gets you sharper and finer knife points. So you’ll be able to do that thing they do in infomercials where they cut through aluminum cans like that’s something everyone does all the time in their kitchens. (I haven’t personally tried this, but when I do I’ll make a video just for you all to see.)

I’d recommend sharpening your knife at least once every two weeks so it’s always ready. One downside: you have to do it when knives are dry and clean. So halfway through cutting a tomato is not the time to realize you need to sharpen your knife. Just do it weekly. Make it part of your meal prep. Another potential downside: the sharpening mechanism is built into a stand with a handle, so you will need to find space for it.

But guys, this sharpener works! Sharpen your knives. Cooking is just so much more fun when you are not using your knife like an ax.

Anyway, back to these fish.

You can season them however you like. I’d recommend sticking to 2-3 seasonings you like to not overwhelm the delicate flavor of the fish. I chose lemon, parsley, and pepper.

What Pairs with Whole Roasted Rainbow Trout?

Side Dishes: These fish are fairly light, so I definitely recommend something equally light like this watercress and mandarin orange salad! Or try some green beans with either sautéed green beans and garlicky mushrooms or yogurt & dill covered green beans!

Want a seafood appetizer to pair before? Try these Creamy Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms!

You could also keep things healthy with some Low-Carb Eggplant & Tomato Pizzas.

Wine: White! Nothing but white. I’d go for a sharp Grüner Veltliner or a Sancerre. Anything heavier and you’ll lose the flavor of these fish.