Pan-Fried Stuffed Whole Trout with Lemon and Dill...

My kids caught their first fish yesterday! We've had a few fishing outings over the summer, with the last trip ending in total disappointment when our friend's prized five-pounder got away. Determined as they were, their dream was realized when my son Étienne proudly reeled in a beautiful two pound rainbow trout. And yours truly had the pleasure of preparing it whole from scaling, gutting and cleaning it- my first time since I usually have this all done at the seafood counter. When it comes to fish I like to keep it simple so we can fully enjoy the particular fish’s flavour. Having trout unexpectedly for dinner, I was thrilled to find a lemon and some fresh dill sprigs that I plucked out from a wilting bunch to use as the stuffing- perfect ingredients to enhance its mild taste and tender flesh. And when it comes to whole fish, I like it steamed or lightly pan-fried to crispy perfection. I'll show you how little time it is to prepare if you need to clean the fish from scratch and the following recipe is super easy to make. 

All you need for this recipe is a few lemon slices, fresh dill, olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper! Add garlic slices if you wish!

Scale The Fish: Grasp the fish by the tail with a towel to prevent it from slipping. Run a knife against the scales from the tail to the head to remove the scales. Turn your fish over and repeat on the opposite side. This will make a mess, so do it in the sink or outside.

Slit Open the Belly: With a sharp flexible knife, slit the fish from the tail to the head across the belly. Remove the innards and discard.

Rinse: Rinse the inside of the fish to wash away the blood. 

Cut Away Fins: With a sharp pair of scissors, cut away all the fins along the back of the fish, and tail if you wish.

Pat dry trout; rub the whole fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, including the cavity. Place a few lemon slices and dill into fish cavity. (This adds great aroma and flavour.) TIP: I also recommend an alternative method, where the fish is dusted with flour before cooking- makes it extra crispy! Do this before stuffing. Place 1/4 cup all-purpose flour on a large plate, then dredge trout in the flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour. Stuff and cook as below. 

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in an extra large frying pan or grill pan on medium-high heat. Fry the trout of this size about four to five minutes. TIP: Fish is ready to be flipped when the skin doesn't stick to the pan. Gently flip, and fry the fish for another five minutes, or until the fish skin is nice and crispy. Cooking times may vary depending on fish size and weight. Make sure the fish feels firm before serving.

Place on a serving platter, and dress up with extra lemon slices, dill sprigs and lemon wedges for splashing!

I served this alongside corn on the cob, a garden salad and potato perogies! 

I think a lot of us are looking to eat more fish and a whole fish is simply excellent to cook with. I am looking forward to so many other way to enjoying it such as en papillote (steamed in parchment) and oven-baked (red snapper I have my eyes on you!)  Add your favourite sides and get a healthy dose of omega 3's! For another way to pan-fry whole fish, try it Chinese-style.