Grandpop's Birthday Party

Some of the best parties, if you are a Grandpop, is a fishing party.
After the important guests arrive its time to go get the worms.

Make sure you get the best worms

Tie on the hooks and get them baited.

We practice catch and release of the bluegills and
sunnies here at the Homestead puddle.
Auntie needs more practice taking pictures after the catch
but before the release.

Is that a blue gill or a sunny?

Now that's a fish cake!

The best catch of them all.
Happy Birthday, Grandpop!

Foil Wrapped Trout

One of the things I like to best eat in all the world is fresh trout. I mean fresh, like caught that day fresh. Well, tonight's dinner was caught on Thursday which means it was never acquainted with Mrs. Paul. (Please don't ask me or my brother to eat frozen fish. After three years during our adolescent development of eating flounder for dinner 5 nights a week we just won't eat it) But since I know that it was caught within a three day window of its consumption, I will consider not just eating it but taking charge of its preparation. Well, technically, I suppose my dad already did help get the fish ready for kitchen prep - but that would involve another photo essay I am not sure you care to be witness to.

I prefer my fresh trout with other fresh ingredients. I think one reason I like foil wrapped trout so much is that I can pretty much guarantee the freshness of the other ingredients. Though I don't know the date the mushrooms and the lemons were harvested, it is well before their expiration date. Cutting the herbs from the kitchen garden to stuff the trout also secures the fact that this is a fresh tasting springtime meal. As for the wine - well, I'll just leave you to be the judge on what you choose to use!
Since my dad knows just the right place to go fishing, I've adapted this basic recipe. It still does the same thing, but instead of 4 rainbow trout to divide up the goodies, I stuff into one since this will feed three persons at dinnertime.

Foil Wrapped Trout

4 whole rainbow trout
salt to clean
2 T shallots
1/2 C peeled/chopped mushrooms
2 T chopped parsley
1 T dry white wine
salt and pepper
slices of lemon
4 T lemon juice

Catch trout. Gut, scale, and remove heads. Rinse fish and sprinkle inside with salt. Mix wine and chopped ingredients in bowl. Fill fish lying on aluminum foil. Brush with more lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place sliced lemon on each fish. Wrap fish in foil and seal edges.

Place under hot grill. Turn for even cooking OR bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Typically I bake in HOT oven (425) for 20 minutes or till done. Tonight serving with new red potatoes, salad, and something else yet to be determined.