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I've ordered trout in many a restaurant, and no matter how well prepared it is, it is never as good as cooking it yourself over an open fire. Perhaps it's the freshness. What could be more fresh than eating a fish that had been swimming free only a few minutes earlier? Or perhaps it's the experience of cooking over a campfire. After all, doesn't everything taste better when prepared over an outdoor fire? Ordinary hot dogs become delicacies and even plain old marshmallows are transformed into a sublime culinary experience. The same is true with trout.

The first step is to prepare the fish. Heads on or off? This is largely a matter or personal preference. Some people simply cannot eat anything that is staring back at them, while others prefer the fish served whole. Either way, you will have to remove the stomach, intestines, and internal organs of the trout. This is done by inserting the tip of a sharp filet knife into the anus of the fish (the small hole on the underside of the fish located near the tail), and cutting all the way to the chin of the fish. Under running water, scoop out the innards of the trout and rinse until the meat is clean. Looking inside the fish, you will see a dark red line running the length of the trout's spine. This is a vein and you will probably prefer to remove it. This is done easiest by scraping the spine of the fish with your thumbnail and pushing the blood out of the fish. Rinse the meat thoroughly until all of the blood is removed.

If you choose to cook the fish on a spit, it is obviously a good idea to not remove the head. Any sturdy branch from a tree can be used as a spit. Use a knife to shave off the bark and any protrusions, and then soak the branch in water for about thirty minutes. This will prevent your spit from catching fire while cooking. Insert the spit into the mouth of your trout and you're ready to get cooking. If you wish, you can season the fish with salt and pepper prior to cooking.

While cooking, make sure that the fish is positioned a few inches above the flame. This prevents the skin from burning. Make sure you check the fish often during cooking, since eating undercooked fish can have some nasty consequences. The trout is ready to eat when the meat becomes flaky. Squeeze some lemon juice onto the trout, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and you're in for a dining experience you will never forget.

Learn more about this author, Marlin Bressi.
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