Dad’s Trout with Almonds
I recently shared the recipe for my mum’s delicious tomato mozzarella tart. I mostly learned my cooking and pastry skills from mum, while my dad – a mathematician – was always more of the baker in our family. I get my love of bread-making from him.
But every now and then, my dad would cook dinner for us, and it never failed to impress. He has a knack for perfecting a simple classic, and his shepherd’s pie is legendary in our family. One other recipe I will always remember as a favourite from my childhood was his whole-baked trout. I wasn’t a big fan of many fish and seafood until I was an adult, but trout was an exception. It was so sweet and soft and easy to eat. And it always came with almonds.
Seriously. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realise that it was possible to eat trout without almonds. When someone tried to serve it to me without I questioned their sanity. Because trout and almonds are a match made in heaven. Crispy and soft, nutty and subtle, golden and pink. They complement each other perfectly.
As a mum trying to feed my family healthy food on a budget, I’ve come to appreciate this recipe even more. Fish is pricey – fresh fish doubly so. But trout is often cheaper than salmon, while boasting all of the omega-3s and health benefits, as well as a subtle sweet flavour that many kids enjoy. It is not “fishy” and is very easy to cook. If fresh fish is too pricey or you are concerned about bones when cooking whole fish, buy frozen trout fillets and defrost overnight in the fridge to cook in the same way.
This dinner makes a nice change from meat, gets 1 of your recommended 2 portions of fish a week in, and is just as delicious served in summer alongside a large salad and/or crusty bread as it is served in colder months with roasted vegetables and cooked rice, wholegrain couscous, millet or quinoa. If you have one, you could even wrap the trout in foil and cook on the BBQ for extra smokey delicious flavours – just keep a close eye as it will cook very quickly!
A super simple, affordable way to cook fish. Ready in minutes, minimal prep, a subtle sweet flavour that kids and adults can enjoy. A perfect fish night dinner. Gluten free, dairy free, low carb, sugar free, egg free, paleo.
- 2 whole rainbow trout or 2-3 large fillets/4 smaller ones (ideally wild over farmed), cleaned
- a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme (rosemary is a good alternative)
- 1 finely sliced red onion, optional
- 2 medium courgettes (zucchini), finely sliced
- extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
- a couple of handfuls of flaked almonds
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Preheat the grill (broiler) to a medium-high heat. Slice the trout down the belly lengthways if using whole ones and stuff with the fresh herbs and red onion slices (if using fillets, just lay the herbs and onions (if using), on top or underneath). Drizzle the fish generously with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, then sprinkle liberally with flaked almonds. Place over paper thin slices of courgette in a oven-safe tray and cook under the grill for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through, pale pink and flaky, with golden almonds and soft slightly charred courgettes. The fish should be easy to pull off the bones, but do check for any stray bones that have been left behind, especially if serving to young children. Perfect served with roasted veggies (fennel bulb is especially delicious) and/or a large salad, roasted or sautéed potatoes, or grains like rice, quinoa or millet.
