Rainbow Trout Fried in Lard

We went to the little pond at Ponca State Park the other day and caught our limit in trout. That night, we fried up the smallest ones, dredged them in our own mixture of seasonings-- and fried them in pork lard. YES. Pork lard. You heard that right. It was delicious and I was as happy as a clam.

A lot of people catch trout but don't keep them. If people do keep them, the trout is usually smoked. Smoked trout is delicious, but we enjoy them fried just fine. However, trout is different from other fish, and they can be hard to eat if you're used to nice boneless filets from more coveted fish like walleye or crappie. But we like them. Trout are beautiful fish, fun to catch, and they've got a unique taste compared to most other freshwater fish. They fry and grill up beautifully. 

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 whole trout
- kosher salt, to taste
- pork lard, enough to cover trout halfway in a 12-inch cast iron skillet
- 1/2 cup of cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon of Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
- lemon wedges






Directions: 

1. Combine cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, seasoned salt and Herbes de Provence. Rub the Herbes de Provence between your fingers to make it more fine. Melt pork lard in a 12-inch cast iron skillet and heat it to between 350 and 375 degrees F. When lard is ready, rinse fish under cold water and salt the body cavity. Then dredge wet fish in the cornmeal mixture and gently lay them in the lard. Fry for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until fish is cooked thoroughly. Timing will depend on the size and thickness of your fish. Drain fried fish on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges.