Rainbow Trout Baked in Foil With Tomatoes, Garlic and Thyme

My friend Christine always makes salmon prepared this way when I arrive at her home in Provence after my long trip from California. It’s a great dish to make when you don’t know exactly when guests are going to arrive, as everything can be prepared in advance and the fish can be baked at the last minute. I’ve adapted Christine’s salmon recipe to rainbow trout, which are farmed in a sustainable way and less expensive than wild salmon.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil for the foil
• 4 small rainbow trout, boned
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes in season, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• Chopped fresh parsley or thyme for garnish
• Lemon wedges for serving

4 servings

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, or 8 sheets of lighter foil, into squares that are 3 inches longer than your fish. If using lighter foil, make 4 double-thick squares. Oil the dull side of the foil with olive oil and place a trout, skin side down, on each square. Season both sides with salt and pepper and open them out flat.
2. In a bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over the middle of each trout. Place 1 or 2 sprigs of thyme on top, and fold the two sides of the trout together. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over each fish.
3. Making sure that the trout are in the middle of each square, fold the foil up loosely, grab at the edges and crimp together tightly to make a packet. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, checking one of the packets after 10 minutes. The flesh should be opaque and pull apart easily when tested with a fork.
4. Place each packet on a plate. Carefully cut across the top to open it, taking care not to let the steam from inside the packet burn you. Gently remove the fish from the packet and pour the juices over. Sprinkle with parsley or thyme and serve, passing the lemon wedges.

• Advance preparation: You can prepare the fish and make the foil packets several hours ahead. Keep in the refrigerator until shortly before cooking.

30 minutes