Baked Trout and Blanched Veggies

I know yesterday I talked about how important presentation is. This dish isn’t the prettiest, but it sure was delicious! I learned some new cooking techniques.

I’ve never baked a whole fish before. I cleaned it, rubbed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and stuffed it with thyme, rosemary, lemon slices, garlic, and red onion. It baked for about 25 minutes in the 450 degree oven.

Blanching is a technique used to cook vegetables so they are al dente, or to the tooth. You bring water to a rapid boil and put your vegetables in. I used brussel sprouts and brocolette. Cover the pot, and let it boil for about three minutes. When it’s done, immediately strain the vegetables and rinse them in cold water. This stops them from cooking any longer, resulting in a perfectly al dente bite.

I learned today that cooking vegetables for too long causes them to loose nutrients. I thought that was really interesting. I think I’ll definitely be using these skills in the kitchen!