I'm looking for any tips on cleaning and cooking these little boogers. Tried to filet a couple today and figure there's got to be a better way. I've never attempted to cook a fish whole so not sure on what to do. I appreciate any tips you got. Thanks a ton! Thomas and Easton(4)

Scale them, gut them, and then cook with heads on so spine will stay intact.

I fished for them a couple of times when I lived in Arkansas and always caught a limit. Gave it up because I just don't particularly care for them fried. Apparently they are great cooked other ways but don't ask me for a recipe. Guess I'm a bottom feeder guy - catfish and bream.

Easy stuff here:

Fresh rosemary
Olive Oil
Aluminum foil
salt
black pepper
lemon

Prepare fish as usual (remove gills, guts, fins, tail, cut bottom jaw in half)

Prepare oven to 325.

Prepare Aluminum foil with olive oil. Lay a bed of lemon slices and place some rosemary sprigs over it. Salt and pepper.
Rub oil on your trout and make sure to get the inside of the trout lubricated. Salt and pepper the inside of trout.
Place on prepared aluminum foil.
On top of the trout add salt and pepper, add rosemary sprigs then place lemon on top.
DONE!
Fold aluminum into a packet and cook in the oven. You might want to flip the aluminum packet once or twice to ensure even cooking.
Cook according to size. The thicker the fish the longer it will take.

Best results yielded by cooking directly on grill make sure it is in the middle of the oven or 1 higher if your oven doesn't have a "middle rack".

If juices start oozing out just use a cookie sheet and place the aluminum packet on top.

You can even cook it in an oven safe frying pan. Prepare the same. cover the top of the pan in aluminum.
Works for outside grills too.


This is how I cook tilapia fillets and salmon fillets.


Another recipe involves olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard.
Lubricate fish in oil, salt and pepper, then rub mustard all over it. Place it in an aluminum foil packet and cook.

^ very good recipe above

We like a foil tent cooked above with the juice of a lemon, lime and orange. Sprinkle old bay seasoning on top and cook away...

Love the brookies over a camp fire cooked that way, and ain't too bad at home

Leftovers make great fish tacos

yep, but I just gut and cut heads off. No reason to remove fins and tails. They just pull out when cooked. Trout out of the North Fork are great eating. Most of them have pink or orangeish firm flesh. I cook them on the grill or in oven mostly. Key as with other things is do not over cook. 14" max 30 minutes.