Scallion-Sausage Stuffed Grilled Rainbow Trout

Fresh fish on the grill and sweet summer corn ... hot weather cooking at its best. Believe it or not, we still have trout we caught from two springs ago. Our local ponds hold a lot of rainbow trout, and they are quite easy and fun to catch. Bag and possession limits are also high. Freezing them in vacuum-sealed bags helps them keep for years. So it's been awhile since we've gone trout fishing. We don't like to fish or hunt for more than we can use.

Every once in a while, when I have the time and feel like deboning trout, I take out a few for Rick to throw on the hot grill. They taste and smell so good on the grill, too. I think it's the best way to cook them. The flavor is like mild salmon. They are close cousins, you know?

If you would like to learn how to debone trout, check out this video. It has made eating trout so much more enjoyable. A good pair of fish tweezers is a must. https://youtu.be/KkmkbJtrhFY

This recipe originally appeared on Jones Dairy Farm.

Servings: 4 
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cooking Time: 30 minutes 
Ingredients: 
- 4 whole trout, butterflied and deboned 
- Vegetable oil 
- Salt and pepper, to taste 
- Lemon pepper seasoning 
- 8 scallions/green onions 
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced 
- Quarter roll of Jones Dairy Farm All Natural Sausage 
- 2 tablespoons of butter 
- 1 pinch of chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice 
- Lemon wedges Special equipment: cooking twine

1. To make stuffing, chop white and light green parts of scallions (about 1 ½ cup). In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add chopped scallions with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until scallions soften, stirring occasionally; do not brown. Next, add sausage and garlic and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook through. Stir in chili powder, cracked pepper and lemon juice. Allow stuffing to cool completely. 

 2. Prepare grill to high heat for direct grilling. Rinse whole trout under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Brush oil on the outside and inside cavity of fish, and then sprinkle salt and lemon pepper seasoning all over the fish. Divide cooled stuffing among the four trout and secure with cooking twine. 

 3. Once grill grates are hot, scrub with a wire brush until clean. Lightly brush the clean grates with vegetable oil. Grill fish for 7-10 minutes on first side. Carefully flip the fish with a spatula and grill for an additional 5 minutes, or until trout is cooked through. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and your favorite summer sides.