Before you get too far into the process, start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). This way, while you prepare your fish, your oven will be just the right temperature when you’re ready to bake.

Choose a baking dish that fits your fillet snugly. Drizzle your olive oil across the bottom. This will prevent the fish from sticking and provide a little flavor to kick things off.

Lay the steelhead trout fillet skin-side down in the baking dish. Drizzle a bit more olive oil on top to keep it moist—trust me, this keeps the fish succulent. Now, sprinkle the minced garlic, chopped chives or shallots, kosher salt, capers, and fresh dill over the fish. This herbaceous and zesty combination will make every bite explosive in flavor.

Now for a bit of fun! Take the half lemon that you zested and slice it ultra-thin. Lay those slices gently on top of the fish. This will infuse the trout with a lovely citrus aroma while it bakes. The zesty kick you get from the lemon is simply divine.

Place the baking dish in your preheated oven and let the fish bake for 12-15 minutes. You want to look for that perfectly cooked texture—opaque and flaky in the center. If you need to, throw on your oven mitts and give the fillet a gentle poke to check if it’s done.

Once the trout is done, remove it from the oven. Plate it with a sprinkle of the leftover lemon zest for garnish, and serve with fresh lemon wedges. Ah, there it is—the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The scent of baked steelhead trout fills the room, and it’s time to dig in.