Baked Lake Trout with Red Onion & Capers

As part of my monthly goals, I have decided to cook at least one meal per month with a cut of meat or seafood that I have never cooked before. Even though I LOVE to cook and cook at least 4 nights per week, there are still many things that I haven't even attempted. The main reason is my budget and the secondary reason was fear of the unknown. My friends who know me probably don't believe that second reason, but yes, I never considered myself among the ranks of executive chefs! Now that I am learning from a professional and going to culinary school, my fears have subsided and I am now more confident in my cooking skills. Not to mention I have very attentive taste testers!

Last night was a great experiment that turned out perfectly. I acquired 2 filets of lake trout over the weekend and decided to bake them. I found a few recipes online, but decided to venture off on my own. Here is what I came up with:

Baked Lake Trout with Red Onion & Capers

2 filets of Lake Trout - skin still attached
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons capers
1 tsp Lemon Pepper Rub by The Pampered Chef
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Dash kosher salt
Dash fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except for filets. Place filets skin side down on a stoneware pan. Spoon mixture evenly over each filet. Bake for 18 minutes. (oven times may vary).

Chefs Notes: I would have preferred more salt in this dish than I initially added. I also would have let the mixture marinate on the filets for an hour or two before cooking.