This weekend I celebrated my 27th birthday with back-to-back gatherings. On Friday my parents took me to Prune for dinner, where they surprised me with a wishbone to make a wish on and a rich chocolate walnut tart. Later I met friends on the Lower East Side for drinks.
Our original bar choice turned out to be hosting a boarding school rivalry night, so we made a last-minute move to another spot. Jonah Hill unexpectedly showed up at the second bar, which made for an amusing birthday moment and an addition to my list of memorable encounters.
On Saturday I traveled to Philadelphia to visit my old roommate Caitlyn and college friends who came up from Baltimore. We had an excellent dinner for ten at Monsu in the Italian Market—complete with homemade gluten-free cavatelli—and enjoyed catching up. Jonah wasn’t with us, but the meal was fantastic.
One dish I made earlier this year for a friend’s 30th is a wonderfully simple whole roasted trout with lemon and thyme. I love catering relaxed, large dinners like that; they feel special without being fussy. If you need an easy crowd-pleaser, this trout works beautifully. Roast several fish at once if you’re feeding more people, and serve them whole on a large platter. I usually remove the twine but keep the fish intact and leave the lemon slices and herbs in place as a natural garnish. You can fillet and remove the head if you prefer, but the presentation is lovely left whole.
Thanks so much for the birthday wishes on Friday—your messages made the weekend even better. Enjoy the recipe and happy cooking.
xo
Phoebe
On the Job: Whole Roasted Trout with Lemon and Thyme
print recipe
Ingredients
- One 1 1/2 pound whole rainbow trout scaled, gutted, deboned and cleaned
- Sea salt
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 a lemon cut into thin rounds
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 450°F.
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Season the trout cavity with salt and pepper. Arrange thyme sprigs and lemon slices evenly inside.
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Tie the trout crosswise with two pieces of kitchen twine about 2 inches apart; avoid tightening too much or the fillets can split during cooking. Rub the outside with 1 tablespoon oil, place the fish on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet, and roast, turning once, until cooked through and golden, about 15 minutes.
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While the trout cooks, whisk the remaining oil with the lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
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Remove the twine, gently lift off the fillets, and reserve the lemon and thyme for garnish or leave them on one fillet. Transfer fillets to plates, drizzle with the lemon-oil mixture, and garnish with lemon slices and thyme before serving.
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe – I’d love to see it!
