Mountain Trout en Papillote with Fresh Herbs and Lemon

La storia di questo piatto

This is mountain-stream cooking in its quietest form: a whole trout, lemon, thyme, marjoram and garlic, nothing more, a home-kitchen idea that borrows the clear-water spirit of Italy's alpine valleys without pretending to an ancient pedigree. Its soul is simple and generous, the sweetness of fresh fish carried by the green scent of mountain herbs.

Ingredienti

• 2 pieces (350g each) Fresh whole farmed trout (rainbow or brown farmed trout)
• 1 piece Organic lemon
• 8 sprigs Fresh thyme
• 6 sprigs Fresh marjoram
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon (about 5 g), to taste Fine sea salt
• 1 to taste Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 sheets (50x50 cm) Baking parchment

Preparazione

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare a baking tray. Remove the gills from the trout (they give a bitter aftertaste), clean out the belly and rinse under cold water; using the back of a knife, working from tail to head, remove the few scales and, if you like, trim the fins. Dry the fish well inside and out with kitchen paper: it should feel dry to the touch.
2. For each trout, stack two 50x50 cm sheets of parchment paper. Brush the top sheet with 1 tablespoon of oil and place the trout in the centre. Leave some space around the fish so the steam can circulate.
3. For each trout, fill the belly with 4 thyme sprigs, 3 marjoram sprigs, 1 thinly sliced garlic clove and 2–3 slices of lemon (use about half a lemon per fish). Season inside and out with about half a teaspoon of salt and a grind of pepper, then pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the belly. The salt helps retain moisture and the flavours penetrate better.
4. Close the parcel by bringing the edges of the two sheets toward the centre and sealing them together by rolling them over on themselves at least twice; fold the ends well too. Run your finger along the crease to check it is secure: the parcel must be airtight, otherwise the steam escapes and the fish does not cook in its own moisture.
5. Place the parcels on the baking tray (so they don't lose their juices) and bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes. The parcel will puff up with steam and the paper will lightly brown at the edges. To check doneness, carefully open one parcel: the flesh should part easily from the bone near the head and the eye should be white and opaque. If needed, reseal and continue for a few more minutes.
6. Take the tray out of the oven and let the parcels rest for 2 minutes. Open them carefully, watching out for the boiling steam, directly at the table: the balsamic aroma of lemon, herbs and garlic is released at that moment. Serve immediately, if you like with a drizzle of raw olive oil.