Rainbow Trout with Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

A weeknight trout dinner that punches well above its prep time. Rainbow trout fillets take a short bath in lime juice, oil, and cumin (a Mexican-leaning marinade that brightens the mild freshwater fish) while a whole bulb of garlic roasts in the oven.

Roasting garlic in its papery skins at 350°F (175°C) is the magic trick. Fifteen minutes in a moderate oven and those sharp, bitter cloves transform into soft, nutty, almost sweet paste that squeezes straight out of the skins. Mashed with mayonnaise, lemon juice, and a pinch more cumin, it becomes a smoky-rich sauce that would wake up even plain poached fish.

The cumin appears in both the marinade and the aioli, which ties the plate together without making it taste one-note. Keep the sauce cold in the fridge while you cook the trout hot. The temperature contrast (flaky, just-cooked fish against cool, creamy aioli) is what sells the whole dish.

Pro Tips

• Don’t marinate trout longer than 20 to 30 minutes. The lime’s acid starts to “cook” the flesh and turns it mealy.
• Pat fillets dry before cooking so the surface sears instead of steams. A cast-iron pan over medium-high heat gives the best crust.
• Roasted garlic keeps in the fridge a week. Do a second bulb while the oven’s on and you have a head start on the next batch.
• Squeeze the roasted cloves out like toothpaste from the root end. Way cleaner than picking skins off individually.

Variations

• Swap trout for arctic char, salmon, or steelhead. All take the marinade the same way.
• Add a spoon of chipotle adobo to the mayo for smoky heat.
• Serve the aioli with roasted asparagus, boiled new potatoes, or crusty bread for a larger plate.