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Azerbaijani baked trout served with vegetables – traditional Caucasian recipe

Azerbaijani Baked Trout with Nuts and Spices

A flavorful baked trout recipe inspired by Azerbaijani cuisine. Whole Norwegian trout is stuffed with pine nuts and seasoned with cinnamon, ginger, and lemon slices for a fragrant, juicy result.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Azerbaijan
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole Norwegian trout
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 handfuls peeled pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • few slices lemon

Equipment

  • Cutting board for slicing vegetables and preparing fish
  • Sharp knife for scoring the trout and slicing lemon
  • Mixing bowl to combine ground nuts and spices
  • Spoon for mixing ingredients
  • Baking tray to place the foil-wrapped trout
  • Aluminum foil to wrap the fish before baking
  • Oven for baking the trout at 200°C

Method
 

  1. Grind the peeled pine nuts into a fine paste or gruel. Add ground cinnamon and ground ginger to the mixture. Stir thoroughly until well combined.
    Ground pine nuts in a white bowl, ready to be mixed with spices.
  2. To the nut and spice mixture, add olive oil and salt. Mix again until you have a smooth, aromatic paste. This will be used to season the trout.
    Spice mixture of ground nuts, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and olive oil in a white bowl.
  3. Thoroughly mix the olive oil, salt, pine nuts, cinnamon, and ginger into a smooth paste. This aromatic mixture will serve as the main seasoning for the trout.
    Spiced seasoning paste in a white bowl, ready for marinating trout.
  4. Make a few diagonal cuts about 1 cm deep across the trout. This helps the seasoning penetrate better during cooking and ensures the fish is flavorful throughout.
    Whole trout with several diagonal cuts on the skin, prepared for marination.
  5. Rub the seasoning paste thoroughly over the trout — both inside the cavity and on the skin. Make sure the mixture gets into all the cuts you made earlier.
    Trout rubbed with seasoning paste on a colorful plate.
  6. Place a few whole pine nuts into the slits on the fish. This step enhances the flavor and adds a unique texture when baked.
    Trout with pine nuts inserted into slits, ready for baking.
  7. Insert several thin slices of lemon into the cavity of the trout. This adds a refreshing aroma and balances the richness of the spices.
    Lemon slices placed inside a seasoned trout fillet.
  8. Wrap the seasoned trout tightly in aluminum foil to lock in moisture and flavor during baking.
    Trout fully wrapped in foil, placed on a baking tray.
  9. Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F). Bake the wrapped trout for 45–50 minutes. Carefully unwrap and serve hot.
    Baked trout unwrapped from foil, with visible lemon slices and browned skin.

Notes

This Azerbaijani-style baked trout pairs perfectly with rice, roasted vegetables, or fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley.
If pine nuts are unavailable, you can substitute with walnuts or almonds.
For an extra zesty flavor, try adding a splash of lemon juice before serving.