Baked Trout Stuffed With Crab

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 grated lemon, rind of
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper
• 8 ounces lumb crabmeat (about 1 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 whole trout or 4 whole red snapper, about 3/4 to 1 pound each,cleaned,scaled if needed and boned

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 2 fry the bacon slices until crisp and rendered of fat.
• 3 drain on paper towels.
• 4 crumble the bacon.
• 5 pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pan into a small bowl and reserve.
• 6 brush a little reserved fat over the bottom of a baking dish that will fit the fish comfortably.
• 7 set aside.
• 8 heat the fat still in the frying pan and cook the scallions and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
• 9 mix together the vegetables, lemon rind, parsley, crumbs, salt and pepper.
• 10 fold in the crabmeat and bacon.
• 11 bind with the egg.
• 12 open each fish like a book, skin side down.
• 13 spread the stuffing over one half.
• 14 pack it down firmly, then fold over the other half and press down gently.
• 15 close the opening with toothpicks if desired.
• 16 set the fish in the prepared baking dish or roasting pan.
• 17 brush the tope of the fish with a little reserved bacon fat.
• 18 bake until the fish is cooked, 25-30 minutes.
• 19 carefully transfer the fish to warmed serving plates and serve immediately.