Author Notes
This was a regular fixture in my family’s dinner rotation when I was a kid. I thought my mother, an English Professor, was the author, but searching on the web, I see there are dozens of iterations. I've tinkered with the recipe over the years, and have even cooked it over an open fire on a fishing trip. It's simple and satisfying. I like to serve this fish with bitter garlicky greens, like mustard or collard, and hashbrowns or oven roasted potatoes. And a Mojito, of course. —MrsWheelbarrow
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Ingredients
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2
whole trout, bone in or boned, head on or off
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2 cups
buttermilk
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2 pieces
thick cut smoked bacon
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1
lemon, thin sliced in 1/2 moons
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2-3 tablespoons
chopped Italian parsley
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2 tablespoons
all purpose flour
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1/2 cup
fine ground cornmeal of excellent quality
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1/8 teaspoon
cayenne
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salt & pepper
Directions
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Soak fish in buttermilk for an hour. This is not necessary if your fish are very fresh, as in just-caught.
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In a large cast iron skillet, render the bacon over low heat until it is about 1/2 cooked. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.
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On a plate, or in a shallow dish, stir together the cornmeal, flour, cayenne and a healthy pinch of salt.
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Remove the fish from the buttermilk and set on a work surface. Divide the lemon slices and place half inside the cavity of each fish, overlapping the slices, and then sprinkling with parsley, salt and pepper.
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Wrap a slice of partially cooked bacon around each fish. Roll the fish in the cornmeal mixture.
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Heat the bacon fat up again until it is very hot. Slip in the fish and cook 4-6 minutes per side, or until crisp and cooked through. The time will need to be adjusted depending on whether the fish is boned.
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