Something Fishy…
Like grilling, fishing is not one of the most convenient or efficient ways to get a meal on the table. It can be one of the most satisfying, though. Unfortunately, I am not nearly as accomplished with a fly rod as I am with a bag of Kingsford and a hot grill. A typical fishing trip for me generally ends with me crashing from the woods, briar scraped, mosquito bitten, and muttering something about wolves. And to make matters worse, with an empty creel.
Fortunately for me, my local organic grocery has turned out to be an excellent source of fresh fish, in this case rainbow trout. While a delicate piece of fish can be a little daunting on the grill, it need not be. A few rules of thumb are all you need to turn out tasty grilled fish every time.
Most importantly, start with a clean grill. I used to be one of those “why clean it, it will burn off next time” kind of guys. Well, when it comes to fish, it means the difference between pulling off a whole fillet or leaving half your fish behind, stuck to your filthy grill grate. Clean your grill with a stiff wire brush and give it a quick swab of cooking oil just before you put your fish on.
Cooking time is the next key to great fish. I use “The Beard Rule.” Legendary food writer James Beard cited it in “Beard on Food” and credited it to Evelyn Spencer and the University of Washington. For a medium hot grill, just figure on 10 minutes of cooking time for each inch of thickness of your fish. This holds true whether you are dealing with fillets, thick salmon steaks, or whole fish. Have a 1 inch thick fish? Cook it a total of 10 minutes, 5 minutes per side. I like to use a thin, wide spatula to flip my fish. I stick to the 10 minute rule and flip it only once.
When it comes to seasoning, I like to keep it simple. In this case, I mixed a little fresh basil and oregano into some softened butter and spread a little inside each boneless, butterflied trout along with a few lemon slices and a sprinkle of salt. The herbed butter is a nice accent that comes through without overpowering the flavor of the fish.
If only catching the fish were so easy…
