Trout On A Nail For Double Enhanced Flavor

It's primitive for sure but the taste of your freshly caught trout is enhanced and delicious when you use this method to cook your fish.
First things first:
Split the fish through the back so that it opens up like a book, with the belly as the spine.  Remove the backbone and viscera.  Rinse the fish thoroughly inside and out using cold water then dry it with paper towels.
Secondly:
Brush the fish with some melted butter.  Then nail the fish skin-side down to an untreated oak, hickory, cedar or other hard wood plank.  Ideally this should be about 10 inches wide and 3 feet long.  Use six nails to ensure a tight fit to the board.  Be sure not to nail all the way through the board as you'll need to remove them after cooking has been completed.
Third:
Combine brown sugar, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Brush the trout again with some of the remaining butter and sprinkle the spice mixture onto the flesh rubbing it gently to be sure that it adheres.
Fourth:
Now make sure you have a roaring hot fire.  I know that usually you don't want your campfire to be so hot you can hardly stand by it but in this case you most certainly do.  You're going to use the relfected heat from the fire to cook your fish and flames are helpful in this case.  Stand the board approximately 12-18 inches away from the fire with the head of the fish toward the bottom.  Prop it up with a few sticks and it should be steady enough for your cooking session.
The cooking time for your fish should be around 15-20 minutes and  you can check to see if it is cooked to your likeing by using your fingertip.  If the flesh flakes off it is done.
And finally...
Enjoy this great fish by removing it from the board.  Use something to protect your hands from the heat and remove the nails and transfer the fish to a plate.  Garnish with fresh sprigs of dill and drizzle a little lemon juice over your fish to enhance it's flavor.

Now that wasn't so hard was it?  And best of all you've learned a new survival skill at the same time.
Get cooking!

Talapia-Baked

One of my favorite fish dishes is Talapia.  It can take on the taste of most anything you cook it with such as lemon, dill etc.  Here is a favorite of mine cooked with lemon and dill and then baked to a flakey perfection.

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 fillets of Talapia

a pinch of dill

zest or juice from a fresh lemon

PREPARATION:

Place the fish on a pan.

Sprinkle a generous portion of dill and fresh lemon juice or zest of lemon onto the fish

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the fish breaks apart when cut with a fork.  Should be flakey and tender.

Serve with a side dish of rice, peas or any other vegetable of your choice.

Steve and Kim

Salmon Bake With Pecan Crunch Coating

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons of butter, melted
5 Teaspoons of honey
1/2 cup of fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 Teaspoons of chopped fresh parsley
6 4-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
6 Lemon wedges

PREPARATION:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, butter and honey. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans and parsley. Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture. Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Many thanks to Stephanie Smith of the Boven Birth Center, Holland Hospital for this great recipe!