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Fish, Italy

Italian style baked trout with grilled polenta

Italian style baked trout is a whole fish stuffed with lemon, garlic and rosemary, oven baked and served with grilled parmesan polenta. It serves 4, takes 50 minutes, stays easy to make, and costs about €3.60 per person. The key is flavoring the flesh from the inside of the fish and getting a good crust on the polenta in the pan.

Tonight, a whole trout infused with lemon, garlic and rosemary, with golden grilled polenta on the side.

Italian style baked trout with grilled polenta
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.60
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

A whole trout baked in the oven stays moist and fragrant, thanks to lemon, garlic and rosemary tucked right inside the fish. The skin turns lightly golden while the flesh underneath stays juicy. Thick slices of grilled polenta bring a welcome contrast, crisp outside, soft inside, lifted by grated parmesan.

This dish works well for a slightly more special weeknight dinner without any real fuss, or for easy entertaining on a summer or fall evening. Mon Chou likes this recipe because it needs few steps but still feels like a proper cooked meal. Reach for it on nights when you want fish without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Whole gutted trout 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lemon 2
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Fresh rosemary 4 sprigs

Pantry

  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Precooked tube polenta 500 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Grated parmesan 40 g

Allergens Fish, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Tuck two lemon slices, half a garlic clove and a rosemary sprig inside each trout, then season with salt and pepper.

    Make small cuts along the back, the heat gets in better and the fish cooks more evenly.

  2. Place the trout on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and bake at 200°C. 25 min

    Count about ten minutes per 300 g of fish, the skin should turn lightly golden.

  3. Cut the polenta into thick slices.

    Use a knife dipped in hot water, it won't stick.

  4. Grill the slices in an oiled pan, letting them turn golden on each side. 10 min

    Only flip once a crust has formed, otherwise the slices will break.

  5. Sprinkle the polenta with parmesan and serve with the trout and a squeeze of lemon juice.

    A few drops of lemon juice on the polenta give it extra kick.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick trout of similar size so they all finish cooking at the same time.
  • Pull the fish out as soon as the skin lifts easily from the flesh with a fork, it keeps cooking a bit after leaving the oven.
  • Let the polenta form a real golden crust before flipping it, that's what gives you the crunch you want.

The variations

  • Swap the trout for a whole sea bass or sea bream, the cooking stays the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, keep the grilled parmesan polenta and serve it with roasted vegetables, like zucchini or bell peppers.
  • For kids, lift the trout fillets off the bone after cooking and remove the herbs and lemon, boneless flesh goes down easier.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lemon dressing
  • Roasted vegetables
  • A glass of dry white wine

Storage

The trout keeps one day in the fridge in a sealed container, it's best eaten the same day. The grilled polenta keeps two to three days in the fridge and reheats well in a pan to get its crunch back. This dish doesn't freeze well, the fish would lose its texture.

Questions about this dish

Can I use trout fillets instead of whole fish?

You can, but you lose the effect of lemon and rosemary infusing from inside the fish. With fillets, cut the cooking time to about 12 to 15 minutes and place the herbs on top instead of inside.

How do I know when the trout is done?

The flesh should turn opaque and flake easily off the bone with a fork. Count about ten minutes of cooking per 300 g of fish.

Can I prep the trout ahead of time?

You can stuff the trout with lemon, garlic and rosemary a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. Only bake it right before serving, since the fish cooks fast and tastes best hot.

What kind of polenta should I use?

Precooked tube polenta, already firm, works best here, since it slices easily and grills straight in the pan. Skip the creamy classic polenta, it won't hold up to grilling.

How long does it take to make an Italian style baked trout with grilled polenta?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an Italian style baked trout with grilled polenta?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an Italian style baked trout with grilled polenta cost?

About €3.60 per serving, or €14.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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