Slow-Baked Trout with Soy Sauce Marinade Recipe

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If you’re looking for an easy dinner idea that’s impressive yet uncomplicated, here it is :). This slow-baked trout with soy sauce marinade is really wonderful and the perfect weeknight meal. The marinade gives it an incredible taste and is perfect over sticky rice. I also added a generous amount of toasted sesame seeds to the rice and it’s SO GOOD!

Making Slow-Baked Trout with a Soy Sauce Marinade

This is a great recipe for celebrations. In my case, I made it for New Year’s Eve! The perfect occasion 🙂 A whole trout looks very refined and important but has very little work involved. You can also use fish fillets if you prefer. The slow-baked trout (which can be replaced for salmon) is very soft and not dry at all. Also, that marinade has lots and lots of flavour with its Asian notes. For the slow-baked trout’s marinade, you just have to place everything in the blender. Simple and delicious! The flavours really shine through and work very well with fish like this. You know it’s cooked to perfection when the trout or salmon flakes off, like in the photo below. If instead of that it looks like shredded chicken, it means it’s overcooked. If you like trout and salmon, you should check out my salmon pasta with fried capers recipe.

Side Dish Options

To go with the slow-baked trout, I made sticky rice with sesame seeds. Many times sesame seeds come very mildly toasted and need a bit more heat to bring all its flavour out. I toast them in a pan over medium-low heat stirring constantly. The smell that comes out is so yummy! I really like sticky rice with sauces like this one, it soaks it up. If you prefer, you can also use wholegrain or brown rice. I also love cucumber with fish, so maybe a cucumber salad would also be a good idea or even a nice coleslaw salad. Another option would be roasted new potatoes, tossed with olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Ingredients for the marinade

The marinade is the sowl of this Slow-Baked Trout. It stirs clear of the classic marinades that tend to include fresh herbs, lemon juice, fresh orange slices, fresh lemon slices, etc. Instead, it takes advantage of deliciously intense Asian flavours. Since they’re all blended, the flavours really flourish, making this a delicious fish dish that everyone will love. 

• Fresh garlic: Garlic is in the marinade to add that strong flavour and personality. In the oven, it will become milder and blend with the other flavours in the marinade.
• Fresh ginger: Ginger has that lovely fresh attribute and it’s also slightly spicy. Ginger and garlic are one of my favourite flavour combinations ever.
• Sesame oil: A bit goes a long way with sesame oil. Try to get toasted sesame oil as it tends to be more fragrant. This would replace a more classic olive oil in a marinade.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce will be a large part of this marinade, adding colour, flavour and saltiness to our fresh trout. 
• Brown sugar: A bit of brown sugar helps us balance out all the other flavours. This slightly sweet flavour pairs really well with fresh fish.
• Sichuan pepper: This is an optional ingredient but it’s an aromatic powerhouse. If you’ve never tried it, this might be a good moment to do it.
• Chilli flakes: This wonderful recipe isn’t all that spicy, but a bit of chill always keeps things interesting! It’s optional if you don’t like any spiciness at all.
• Chives: They don’t actually go into the marinade but it is the final garnish before serving. I love its flavour and the colour it adds to this trout bake. Make sure to use a sharp knife when cutting them so that they don’t break. 

How To Make This Slow-Baked Trout with a Soy Sauce Marinade

The procedure for this Slow-Baked Trout is really simple and makes for a very delicious and healthy meal.

1. Place all the ingredients for the marinade in the blender. Blend it up until you have a homogeneous liquid.
2. Marinate the trout filet on top and bottom. Place it on a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper at the base. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
3. Bake the trout in a preheated oven at 100 degrees C/210 degrees F for 30 minutes. Halfway through, open the oven and baste the trout with the sauce from the baking sheet. Remove the trout from the oven and serve immediately with finely chopped chives and toasted sesame seeds. You also want to gather the sauce left on the baking sheet for serving
4. Place the rice on a colander or sieve and wash it under running water for a couple of minutes or until the water runs clear.
5. Add the rice to a saucepan along with the sesame seeds, salt and water. Place the pan over medium heat and when it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and put the lid on. Cook it for 15-20 minutes or until there’s no liquid left at the base, you can check by pushing aside the rice with a fork.

Why should you Slow-Bake Trout

Slow baking trout, salmon and other fish is the best way to bake them. They won’t turn golden brown in this process because of the low heat, but you get all that lovely moisture and delicate flavours to stay. Even though the name “slow” is in the title of the recipe, even at a low temperature, fish cooks pretty quickly. My Slow-Baked Trout takes 30 minutes to bake at 100°C/210°F. This time could vary a bit depending on the thickness of the fish, but it shouldn’t take much longer than that. Also, because it’s slow-baked, there’s no need to use aluminum foil or a foil packet when cooking trout like this. This makes it perfect even for busy weeknights and even for meal prep. If you have any leftover trout, you can always place it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Then you just reheat it or add cold it to a salad.