Homemade Humpday: Grill out with trout
With summer in its first week, it'd be criminal not to take advantage of three great summer eats in one fell swoop: freshwater fish, bright citrus cocktails and charcoal grilling.
Minnesota is lucky to have access to some of the best white fish in the world, including walleye, bass, and even trout.
If you don't have a fly fisherman in the family, the Wedge Community Co-op in Uptown has big wild-caught filets of Canadian lake trout. One large filet sliced in half is enough to feed two people. Be sure to remove any pinbones before cooking.
Grilling may seem like a daunting, even harsh, cooking method for such a delicate fish, but there are ways to ensure that your fish stays succulent while retaining that signature smokey grilled flavor.
First, prep your grill. The best way to get your coals lit is with a chimney starter. While the method does take 20 to 30 minutes to get hot, using a chimney starter to light the grill ensures your food will have no chemical flavor. Never use lighter fluid. If you wouldn't put it on your food, it shouldn't go on your coals.
Once your coals are hot, pour them just onto one half of the grill, like in the image below. Doing so will offer a place for the fish to cook on indirect heat, rather than drying out and burning over a white-hot charcoal furnace.
With the grill ready, it's time to prep the fish. There's no need to oversaturate trout with heavy marinades or sauces. The charcoal will add the bulk of the flavor, so all we need to do is enhance the natural flavors of the fish and the smoke.
Drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper, and a dash of finely chopped parsley over the flesh of the fish. Keep it simple, and the trout will speak for itself. To keep the trout moist over the heat of the grill, slice a few rounds of your favorite citrus fruit. In my case, I used navel oranges to go with my cocktail. Two slices per filet should suffice. The citrus adds sweetness and acid, while locking in moisture. The heat of the grill will also allow the oils in the orange rind to permeate the fish, bringing a floral aroma to the trout as well.
Place the filets skin-side down on either oiled aluminum foil or cedar grilling planks for cooking. Do not put the fish directly on the grill, unless you want a burnt flakey mess to scrape off later. Let the fish cook for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. Do not cover the grill, just monitor until done. When finished, the trout should be flakey yet firm, and a slight peach color.
The fish will be piping hot, so take a minute to throw together a cool beverage before plating up. You can't go wrong with a caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil.
You'll need
-1 tbsp. sugar
-1 lime, quartered
-1 jigger cachaça Brazilian rum
-Fresh ice cubes
-Fruit juice
In an empty glass, muddle the lime quarters and sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, add ice and cachaça. Finally, stir in a splash of fruit juice. I went with no-pulp Simply Orange juice, to match the orange slices topping the fish, although any juice will suffice. The result is a deceptively boozy and refreshingly bright cocktail that is perfect for sipping on the porch at sunset.
For a side, wrap a few potatoes in foil and throw them in among the coals while grilling asparagus on top. Paired with the rich, smokey trout and the zesty citrus, it's like summer in a bite.
Pairing: Seasonal
Price: $
Post-dinner drunchies: Flag down the ice cream man for one of these
