Lemon-dill foil packet trout

Foil is the forgiving way to cook a whole trout. Lemon and red onion under the fish keep the skin off the metal, dill goes in the cavity, and the packet steams everything in its own juices.

It works over campfire coals, on a grill or in a home oven, which makes it an easy pick for a bank-fishing trip that ends at a campsite.

About 25 min. Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 whole stocker rainbow trout, cleaned and patted dry
• 1 large lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil

Method

1. Heat a grill or oven to 400°F, or let a campfire burn down to medium-hot coals. Tear two 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil and brush the middle of each with olive oil.
2. Lay two or three slices each of red onion and lemon on the foil as a bed, so the skin does not stick.
3. Season each trout inside and out with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stuff the cavity with dill and a few lemon slices, then set the fish on its bed.
4. Drizzle with the rest of the oil, fold the foil over the fish and crimp the edges tight to hold in the steam.
5. Cook over indirect heat, or in the oven, for 14 to 16 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes. Open each packet away from your face, because the steam is hot, then lift the meat off the bones.

Notes

• Cook fish to 145°F in the thickest part, which is the FDA’s temperature for fish. Check with a thermometer.
• Double the foil if the sheets are thin, and keep the packets off direct flame.
• Stocked rainbows are small, so plan on about one fish per person. Our keeping guide covers the daily limit.
• TPWD lists consumption advisories for some Texas waters. If you caught the fish, check the advisories for that water before you cook it.

Sources: FDA: Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely (content current as of Mar. 5, 2024), TPWD: Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories.

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