Trota Origanata con Patate al Forno

aka Rainy Day Trout

We do not stay in the lap of luxury when we are in Italy, and we like it that way.  Each time we go we make our way to the Molise region where my husbands family is from.  Once we arrive, it feels like home.  We love this off the beaten path, non-touristy area of Italy.  It is rugged and holds true to it’s traditions.  We stay at his fathers birth place, this home is 200+ years old, super thick stone walls.  No one stays there when it’s not summer.  Except us.  And one crazy October storm caught us unprepared.  The weather up until then had been warm and on top of that we had just come back after a few days in Positano (near Amalfi).  There we are in our shorts, going into a store, all warmth and sunshine outside.  We come out of the store and the wind is blowing the rain sideways, the temperature has dropped and we are jumping over mini lakes in the parking lot.  It stayed that way for days. By the way, the place we stay at—his dad’s house—no heat.  The thick walls, well they are retaining the cold.  Everyone we know there wants us to come stay with them but we buy a space heater, light a fire in the kitchen fireplace ,(which only keeps you warm if you are there all day to feed the fire), and get under covers when we are there.

It was with great appreciation that we accepted the invitation from his aunt (Zia Anna) to have at her agriturismo for dinner.  Oh it was warm, and she has a large woodburning stove for preparing food for her guests, and for things like pizza and this recipe.  Oh my, the deliciousness!  Some wine, some pecorino di sardo from her son-in-law, some hearth bread, and this fish served hot with potatoes and the best olive oil!  People all around enjoying food, talking and laughing….It makes me happy to think of it! 

Serves 2, because we love it and we won’t share (we will, but we increase the amounts)

8 oz dressed whole clear trout fillet

1 medium sweet onion

3 red potatoes (small to medium size)

2 cloves garlic, minced  (+ more whole, unpeeled cloves for pan)

Oregano

Using a cast iron skillet, place it over medium low heat and put ~3 TBS olive oil in pan.  Chop onion into roughly ½” pieces. Slice potatoes into 1/8”-1/4” rounds.  Add these to skillet and season with salt and oregano. 

Prep trout by drizzling with olive oil, season inside with salt and minced garlic.  Fold trout and season outside with salt, black pepper and oregano.  Add to skillet and nestle in a bit.  Add whole garlic cloves.

Season top of everything with pepper and oregano and cover pan.  Put on bottom of stove set at 525.  Let cook approx 30 minutes until potatoes are getting brown.  Put on top rack.  Bake for 10 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.