Recipes Ingredients Seafood Recipes Trout Recipes Whole Baked Trout With Cherry Tomatoes and Potatoes Be the first to rate & review! Everything cooks in one dish in the oven for an easy, hands-off dinner. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Published on April 19, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Rachel Marek Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 4 Cooking a fish whole, as opposed to fillets, is a quick and simple way to get dinner on the table. This recipe for baked trout is a whole meal since the cherry tomatoes and Yukon gold potatoes roast with the fish. Even better, everything bakes in the same dish, making this a one-pan meal. The fish's skin is crispy, the potatoes are tender, and the cherry tomatoes burst and caramelize. This recipe is all about timing. The potatoes and tomatoes are started first. They roast in the oven until almost tender—some smashed garlic and fresh oregano lend their flavors and aromas. The whole fish takes much less time than the vegetables. Season the insides and outsides of the trout with salt and a few slices of lemon—that's all they need before they roast atop the bed of vegetables. We recommend that picky eaters and adventurous minds alike try eating whole fish at least once. If cooking and eating a fish with the skin and head intact is new to you, use this recipe; it's a no-fuss, foolproof place to start. 22 Easy Fish Recipes for Any Night of the Week Tips for Buying Fresh Fish Purchase your fish from a vendor you trust. Maybe it's your local market, the fishmonger at the farmers’ market, or a subscription service. After that, there are two main qualities to assess when buying a whole fish—appearance and smell. Appearance The first thing you'll notice when buying fish is what the exterior looks like. And since you can’t see the meat on the inside, you’ll have to rely on these visual cues. Bright and glossy skin. Pass on anything that appears dull or grayish. Scales intact. As the caught fish ages, the scales will start to fall off. Clear and full eyes. If the eyes are cloudy or sunken, keep your eyes peeled for something fresher. Smell Walking through the fish department of a grocery store might be an overwhelmingly potent experience, but fresh fish really shouldn’t have that much of an odor, especially milder fish varieties like trout. Rather, fish should smell like the home it came from—the ocean. Look for fish that has a mild, briney odor. If the smell is at all overpowering to the senses, that’s an indication that the fish is not very fresh. Cooking a Whole Fish The ways that we prepare fish vary based on cultural differences, accessibility, and personal preferences. Cooking a whole fish, head and all, isn’t as popular a technique in the United States as it is in other countries. However, when you use all of the parts of the fish, including the head and skin, you are introducing new nutrients and flavors into your diet. Benefits Easy to prepare: Among the benefits of cooking whole fish vs. individual fillets, simplicity is at the top of the list. When baking whole fish, you don’t have to worry about flipping the fillets or taking care to make sure the meaty sides aren’t sticking to the pan. Since the whole fish is enveloped in its skin, this creates a natural fat barrier—all you need is a slick of oil to get started. Additionally, this technique is totally no-fuss and requires almost zero hands-on time. Just place it in the oven and set the timer. Unique way to serve fish: Bringing out a platter with a whole fish is a showstopper. Plus, you can wow guests with your carving skills when it’s time to eat. Retains moisture and flavor: A lot of fish, especially leaner ones like trout or tilapia, can quickly dry out, whether you’re baking them in the oven or on the stovetop. Since the fish is whole and intact, the fillets will cook through more slowly and evenly, which will ensure that they retain their moisture and flavor. Bonus: just like with a roast chicken, the skin of the fish is the best part. It’s fatty and salty, and every last bit will be gobbled up. You can certainly make this dish with trout fillets instead of whole fish. Keep in mind they will take about half the time to cook as the whole fish needs. What Type of Baking Dish to Use The beauty of this meal is that it all bakes in the same dish. You’ll want to choose a baking vessel that isn’t too deep, nor too shallow. Something like a roasting pan that you’d use to make your Thanksgiving turkey will be too deep—it won’t allow enough moisture to evaporate. Something too shallow could have the opposite effect, creating too much evaporation too quickly. A standard baking dish is a good bet. We recommend a ceramic or glass baking dish for this recipe since they conduct heat very evenly. Ingredients 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, broken into smaller clusters if on the vine 1 clove garlic, smashed 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 2 whole trout (about 9 ounces each), scaled, gutted, and cleaned 6 thin lemon slices (from 1 lemon) Directions Rachel Marek Preheat oven; toss potatoes and tomatoes with oil: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss together potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Season with pepper. Rachel Marek Arrange potatoes and tomatoes in baking dish: Arrange potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, overlapping them; top with tomatoes. Rachel Marek Roast: Roast until tomatoes are juicy and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Rachel Marek Season fish and stuff with lemon: Rub fish with remaining 1 teaspoon oil, dividing evenly. Season inside and outside of fish with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; stuff with lemon slices. Rachel Marek Roast fish on top of potatoes: Arrange on top of potatoes, shifting tomatoes alongside. Roast until fish are cooked through, about 20 minutes; serve immediately. Rachel Marek Storage When storing leftover baked fish, keep the fish in as few pieces as you can. In other words, the leftovers should resemble the whole fish as much as possible. This will make it easier to reheat without the fish drying out. Let the fish cool completely, then store it alongside the vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Delicate fish like this doesn’t freeze well, but it’s perfect for warming and eating for lunch or dinner the next day. How to Store Fish the Right Way (So Your Fridge Doesn't Smell) Reheating Place the leftover fish and vegetables in a baking vessel just large enough to hold them and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until just warmed through, no longer than 10 minutes. Frequently Asked Questions What type of fish is best to cook whole? Any type of fish can be cooked whole, but round fish are ideal. Try fish such as trout, arctic char, sea bass, and red snapper cooked whole. How do I clean a whole fish? Most of the work of cleaning a whole fish should be done for you at the fish counter. Unless you’re buying the fish fresh off the boat, it should come scaled, gutted, and ready to cook when you buy it. If it looks a little slimy on the outside, give it a rinse and pat it dry with some paper towels. How many people will a whole fish serve? A whole fish will serve different numbers of people depending on the size and type of fish. As a general rule, you’ll want to have one pound of whole fish per person. Unlike fillets, of which you can eat 100 percent, the percentage of edible meat on most whole fishes is between 35 to 45 percent. Other Fish Recipes to Try: Grilled Whole Fish Braised Fish With Fennel and Tomato Roasted Whole Branzino With Lemon and Thyme Soy-Honey-Glazed Arctic Char Grilled Whole Fish With Lemon and Thyme Flounder in Parchment With Asparagus and Shiitakes Sautéed Black Sea Bass With Capers and Herb-Butter Sauce Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley is an associate food editor for Martha Stewart Living.