Sheet-Pan Steelhead Trout & Root Vegetables
Everything about this dish works. The fish is super tender and simply yet deliciously seasoned — everything is in balance, including the garlic and lemon, so the flavors are bright and savory but don’t overwhelm the accompanying veggies. The potatoes and carrots are crispy, lightly charred and slightly sweet from the honey-balsamic dressing. Sweet glazes can be overpowering, but in this meal the glaze brings out and highlights the sweet, rich flavors of the vegetables instead of overwhelming them.
Steelhead trout has pink flesh, like salmon, and the two are similar in taste — but steelhead is both more flavorful and lighter and leaner. It’s an often-overlooked (and underrated) gem in the meat and seafood aisle.
The incredible flavors of this easy, sheet-pan dinner leave you feeling satisfied but not weighed down, and the textures add to the delight. Somehow, the shallots are creamy and crispy at the same time, and the balsamic glaze makes the crisp-tender veggies irresistible.
This dish is pretty, in a rustic kind of way, and it makes a very pleasing meal. Make it for a hearty family dinner or serve it when you have guests. No one will guess it was made on a sheet pan.
4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the roasted vegetables:
2 large shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
8 baby red potatoes, quartered
1 bunch tri-colored carrots, sliced into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, reserve a pinch for the trout
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, reserve a pinch for the trout
For the trout:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 6-ounce steelhead trout fillets, skin removed
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lemon, cut into slices
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425 F and warm a large sheet pan in it for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the shallots, potatoes, carrots, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a bowl and toss to combine.
- Spread out the vegetables evenly on the warm sheet pan and roast for 10 to 12 minutes.
- While the vegetables cook, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add in the garlic and thyme sprigs. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes and then remove the thyme sprigs and stir in the fresh lemon juice.
- Pat the trout fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt.
- Drizzle the trout fillets with the garlic-thyme butter, coating all sides with your hands or a pastry brush.
- Stir the vegetables and clear some space on the pan for the trout fillets.
- Lower the oven temperature to 375 F and cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until the trout reaches an internal temperature of 145 F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and put the roasted vegetables in a clean bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar and honey together and toss it with the roasted vegetables. Then add the fresh parsley and dill.
- Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish and top with the trout fillets. Garnish with the remaining fresh herbs and the fresh lemon slices.
