Catch of the day

Two fishing trips last week: I did well on Wednesday, then on Saturday Ellie showed her friend Amelia and me how it's done while we caught next to nothing. Oh, well, at least there was enough at the end of the day for a good dinner. I've decided to post my recipe for broiled rainbow trout, more so people will know I'm still alive and well than because they need a recipe...though it is a good one.

I cook my trout sans head, but leaving the tail on—done right, it ends up deliciously crispy. A plain cookie sheet works, but I like to line it with aluminum foil in the interest of easier cleanup; either way, it's important to make sure the cooking surface is well greased with butter. I splash the fish with citrus juice—sometimes lemon, sometimes Key lime, sometimes a mixture of the two—then add spices: sea salt, lemon pepper, grated orange peel (dried or fresh), and paprika. For presentation purposes, the paprika is applied in a narrow band over the pink stripe on the side of the trout; together with the "spots" of lemon pepper, this approximates the natural appearance of the fish. (I was accused of "art", but make no such claims myself; just a small gesture toward honoring the quarry.)


An oven temperature of 450° or 475° will do the trick; I don't really time it, just watch until it looks done, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 minutes. Serve with grits and a sweet German riesling...