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my absolute favourite whole trout recipe: rub with salt and pepper, put a bay leaf inside, wrap with a slice of pancetta, drizzle with olive oil and bake wrapped in a parchment paper packet with a handful of olives and chopped shallots. divine! (and i don't even like olives)

Is the fish cleaned at least? The head is not a big deal (at least for me), but I hate gutting fish.

My favorite thing to do with a whole trout is to roast it in a hot oven. I cut some slashes in the sides so that the seasoning and heat can penetrate the meat a little more easily. Then I rub with salt, pepper, and olive oil. next I sear it on a large 2 burner griddle, as it won't be in the oven long enough to brown on the outside otherwise. This isn't strictly necessary, but I really like my fish to have a crisp skin, if the skin is still on. Then I just crank up my oven as high as it will go (550 F for me), and roast the sucker until the flesh just barely flakes, but still looks juicy. Let it rest for a bit before serving. If you're good at it, you can get the fillets to come off neatly with a few careful cuts around the collar and back. If not, it will still taste good.

Something else, which I've never tried, but may soon, is roasting the fish whole under a salt crust. The skin doesn't get crisp (the fish is essentially steaming under the salt crust) and is too salty to eat anyway, but supposedly the meat is amazingly moist and perfectly seasoned.

I just looked and it is gutted. Feels like a pound or so in weight.

I know I am lucky, just completely kindergarten on this! Open foil on the grill? that is how I grill salmon.

Couldn't find a YouTube of it, but here is the Plank Grilled Whole Trout he did in that episode... looked delish...

I am such a trout fanatic that my husband bought me a trout cookbook a few years back. It sounds like you're kind of freaked out by his head. Maybe you could put a little bag over his head while you're cooking him. hee, hee... They say the flavor of the fish is so much better when cooked with the head on. sorry...

Anyhoo, since you do have a whole trout (lucky, lucky girl!) it is perfect for stuffing. The last time I made a whole one I used the Rainbow Trout w/ Sage-Butter Stuffing from Michael Lomanico's Nightly Specials. It really rocks. You can thank me later....lol...and it is so easy!

3 T chopped sage
4 T softened unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
fine sea salt & freshly gound pepper
1/2 t paprika
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 c dried breadcrumbs
1/4 c toasted pine nuts
(this recipe calls for 4 butterflied whole rainbow trout, however we stuffed most of it in 2, so you may want to halve the stuffing components)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingred., 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper in food processor and refrigerate until ready to use. Season the trout w/ s&p and rub the skin w/oil. Stuff the fish with an even layer of the stuffing and just fold it closed to seal in the stuffing. Lay the fish in an oiled roasting pan. Roast until the fish is thoroughly cooked, 15-18 min. About halfway through the cooking time, carefully run a spatula under the trout to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan.
Put trout on warmed plate and drizzle w/juices and melted butter from the pan and serve.
You can use bass, flounder or sole in this recipe with great results also.

Thaw, baby, thaw! The first time I made trout I was so intimidated, I think because they are just so beautiful and delicate-looking. It is an extremely easy fish to prepare and fast, also. I hope yours lives up to all this hype!

@crazy - Thank you so much for asking! The job is the same and I am still in hate with it, but there just aren't a lot of choices where I am right now. The job market is extremely depressed and it's commonplace for employers to get hundreds of resumes in just a few days. I'm trying to make peace with my situation and be content with a paycheck. That's uplifting, isn't it? We moved here last year because my husband took a new position, so at least one of us has a great job. We have a new house, we're not starving and we don't have a trout in the freezer - well, what's up with that?!?

Here's my suggestion. Pour a couple glasses of chard. One for you and one for the trout. Drink yours while you do your mise. Stuff that darling little fishie and pop him in the oven. Bing, bang, boom - plate him up. Thank him for giving up his life for you and toast a fish-life well lived by drinking the other glass of wine while you enjoy every last bite! sweet...

@fred - LOL! I needed that chuckle today! I am in real estate in PA and today was just one of those days!! I would still take what I am doing over my former career :-O I honestly know where you are coming from. I have always found if you start your day with a happy thought, the rest of the day will be a good one! (Maybe I should send my trout to you?)

With that said, onto the trout in my freezer. Still there. I like the idea of drinking enough chard to get up the nerve to deal with the damn thing! I am definitely going to handle it this weekend. I have gotten some great ideas from the talented SE posters. You have no idea how much I appreciate the support! I will report back, but please keep the ideas coming!

@crazy - I say "bring it on" baby! lol....

I will really need to know how this infamous trout turns out! I'm sure it will be great. Keep us posted!