Fish House Barbecue

Whole dressed trout grilled over hot coals and basted with a tangy tomato-wine-butter sauce. This is the kind of recipe you find at lakeside fish houses and fishing camp cookouts where the catch goes straight from the water to the grill.

The sauce simmers for 10 to 15 minutes while the grill heats. Tomato sauce, dry white wine, melted butter, lemon juice, green onion, mixed herbs, and a dash of hot pepper sauce come together into a thin, glossy basting liquid. The wine and lemon keep it tangy, the butter adds richness, and the herbs bring a subtle background flavor.

Brush the sauce on during the last few minutes of grilling only. Applying it too early causes the sugars to burn before the fish is cooked through. Ten minutes per side gives you crispy skin and flaky, moist flesh. Pass the extra sauce at the table for spooning over each serving.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a fish grilling basket if you have one. Whole trout are delicate and fall apart when you try to flip them with a spatula.
• Oil the grill grates well. Fish skin sticks to dry grates. A paper towel dipped in oil and rubbed across the grates prevents this.
• Don’t baste too early. The sugar in the sauce will burn and turn bitter. Wait until the last 3 to 4 minutes.
• Test doneness with a fork. The flesh should flake easily at the thickest part near the spine.

Variations

• Salmon steaks: Use thick salmon steaks instead of whole trout. Same sauce, same timing.
• Smoky version: Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to the sauce for a deeper barbecue flavor.
• Herb butter finish: Skip the tomato sauce entirely and baste with a compound butter of lemon zest, dill, and garlic.