Pan Sautéed Trout with Bacon and Scallions

Trout filets will typically still have their skin, which is delicious when cooked up crisp as in this recipe. If you prefer not to eat the skin, the trout meat will come away from the skin easily once cooked.

2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch slices 1 cup cornmeal ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon granulated garlic 2 teaspoons finely copped fresh parsley

4 6-ounce trout filets, rinsed and patted dry 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and tender green parts only 1 lemon, quartered

In a large skillet, cook the bacon slices until crispy. Set aside to drain on a paper towel and reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

In a wide bowl, mix together the cornmeal, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley.

In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, heat the reserved bacon grease and the olive oil over medium high heat. Drop in a pinch of the cornmeal mixture, if it sizzles, the oil is ready for cooking.

Dip the trout filets in the milk and dredge in the cornmeal mixture to coat. Place the trout filets in the hot pan, flesh side down, being careful not to over crowd. Cook 3-4 minutes then flip and cook another 3 minutes or until the trout flakes easily. Note, if you need to cook the trout in several batches, keep the cooked filets on a warmed, paper towel-lined platter in a 200° oven while cooking the remaining filets.

To serve, top each filet with crumbled bacon and sliced scallion along with a lemon wedge.

Serves 4