Fire Grilled Trout with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Whole trout rolled in seasoned flour and grilled in a cast iron pan over the campfire, served on a bed of bacon and caramelized onions. Breakfast or supper — it works at every hour.
Equipment
- 1 cast iron pan
- 1 grate or tripod over the fire
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 small to medium fresh trout cleaned — the fresher the better
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the bed of onions
- 4 slices bacon diced
- 2 onions thinly sliced
To serve
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
Before you start
- Build your fire and let it burn down to a steady bed of coals — you want even heat, not flames licking the pan. Set a cast iron pan on a grate over the coals to preheat.
- If the trout are freshly caught, clean and scale them now. Pat them completely dry inside and out: wet fish steams instead of searing.
Bacon and onions
- Cook the diced bacon in the hot pan until crisp. Lift it out and set aside, leaving the fat behind.
- Add the sliced onions to the bacon fat and cook gently, stirring now and then, until soft and caramelized — about 10 minutes. Set aside with the bacon and keep warm at the edge of the fire.
The trout
- Mix the salt and a generous grind of pepper into the flour. Roll each trout in the seasoned flour so it is lightly and evenly coated, and shake off the excess.
- Add the olive oil to the pan. Lay in the trout and grill about 8 minutes per side, turning only once. If the fish resists the flip, give it another minute — it will release on its own when it is ready.
- The trout is done when the flesh next to the spine is opaque and flakes easily.
Serve
- Spoon the onions and bacon onto plates, set a trout on top, and serve immediately with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
Bigger is better. If you have the choice, one large fish for several people beats one small fish each — the skin holds together and the cooking is far easier to control.
Score whole fish. For anything larger than a small trout, cut large diagonal incisions down to the spine every 2 inches (5 cm) on both sides so it cooks evenly from head to tail.
Gluten-free. Rice flour or fine cornmeal crisps just as beautifully as wheat flour.
Other fish. Perch, walleye, mackerel, small sea bass or red snapper all work with this method. Adjust the time to the thickness.
At home. A cast iron pan behaves the same on a barbecue or a stovetop. You lose the smoke, not the dish.
See the frequently asked questions
- How do I know when fire grilled fish is done?
- Why does my fish stick to the grill?
- Can I use frozen fish?
- Do I have to gut the fish myself?
- What can I use instead of trout?
- Can I make this on a barbecue or a stove?
- Is flour necessary?
- How long does fire grilled fish take from start to finish?
- What do you serve with fire grilled trout?
- Do I need a cast iron pan to cook fish over a fire?