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1
Boil the Potatoes and Vegetables
15 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Put the potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil for 12-15 minutes until a knife slides in easily. In the last 5 minutes, set a steamer over the pot and steam the carrots, cauliflower and green beans until bright and just tender. Drain everything, toss the vegetables with the butter, and keep warm.
Start the potatoes first — they take the longest, and the fish grills in 12 minutes.
Done when: Potatoes tender all the way through; vegetables bright and crisp-tender, not soft.
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2
Score and Season the Trout
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Pat the trout completely dry inside and out. With a sharp knife, cut 3 shallow diagonal scores on each side, just through the skin. Rub each fish all over with olive oil, then with the lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and tuck the chopped parsley into the cavity. Leave for 15 minutes while the grill heats.
Dry skin is the secret to crisp skin — any water left on the fish will steam it instead of grilling it.
Done when: Fish evenly coated, scores open slightly, and smelling of lemon and garlic.
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3
Heat the Grill
10 Mins
Hot coals, about 230°C (450°F)
Light the grill and let the coals burn down until they are covered in white ash and glowing underneath — about 10 minutes. Brush the grill grate clean and oil it well with a folded cloth dipped in oil, held with tongs.
A clean, oiled grate is what stops the skin sticking and tearing when you turn the fish.
Done when: Coals white-hot with a steady, even heat; you can hold your hand 15 cm above the grate for 3 seconds.
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4
Grill the Trout
12 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Lay the trout on the grate and grill for 5-6 minutes on the first side without moving it. Turn once with two spatulas or a fish basket and grill for 5-6 minutes more, until the skin is crisp and golden and the flesh flakes easily. Squeeze half a lemon over the fish as it comes off the grill.
Turn the fish exactly once: every extra turn risks breaking the skin and the flesh.
Done when: Flesh flakes cleanly at the thickest part and reaches 63°C (145°F) inside; skin crisp and golden.
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5
Rest and Serve
5 Mins
Serve hot, about 65°C (150°F)
Rest the trout for 3 minutes so the juices settle, then put one fish on each plate with the boiled potatoes and the buttered vegetables. Serve at once with the lemon wedges and any remaining parsley scattered over the top.
Serve the fish whole and let everyone lift the flesh from the bone — it is part of the pleasure of the dish.
Done when: Hot plates, crisp skin, and flesh that lifts cleanly from the backbone.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Eat it the moment it leaves the grill, with a good squeeze of lemon over the top — grilled trout waits for no one, and the skin is at its crispest in the first minutes.
Argentina
1h 25m
