THE SPECKLED TROUT

4 whole speckled trout, scaled, gutted, and head removed 2 Tbsp. Frank Davis Sprinkling Spice
2 fresh lemons, sliced into eighths
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup pre-packaged seasoning vegetable mix
1 stick butter, cut into 16 thin pats

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Then prep the speckled trout: wash them under cool running water, paper-towel them dry, scale them completely, gut them, and then remove the heads. At this point, wash them again under cool running water, using an old toothbrush to scrub away any blood left in the belly cavity along the backbone.

When all four have been cleaned, once again pat them dry with paper towels and place them on the countertop on a sheet of either waxed paper or freezer wrap.

Now you can begin the seasoning process. First, take a sharp knife and make 5 diagonal slices crosswise in each fish (cut all the way through to the backbone and make the cuts on both sides).

Then, sprinkle the fish all over with the sprinkling spice and rub it in briskly with your hands. As they’re done, place them side by side—but not touching—into a shallow-sided baking pan.

Then, in each diagonal cut in each trout, insert a lemon slice (but do this on the top side only).

Finish up the seasoning process by drizzling the extra virgin olive generously over each fish, scattering some of the pre-packaged vegetable mix evenly atop the fish, and finally topping each fish with 5 or 6 pats of butter.

All that’s left to do now is to slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the trout skin turns beautifully brown and crispy and the meat flakes easily with a fork.

I suggest you serve each dinner guest a whole trout, accompanied by a stack of roasted potatoes and some tomato salad.

THE ROASTED TATERS
2 cans canned vegetable broth
2 cans water
4 Tbsp. Frank Davis Granular Seafood Boil
3 lbs. baby new potatoes (A or B size creamers)
1 bottle Frank Davis Sprinkling Spice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 bunch parsley, minced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 stick softened butter
1 cup light sour cream (if desired)

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

At the same time, take a stockpot large enough to hold all the potatoes and bring to a full boil the vegetable broth and the water; when it’s rapidly rolling, stir in the seafood boil until completely dissolved.

At this point, drop in the potatoes, reduce the fire to medium-low, and slow-poach the spuds until they are “barely fork tender” (be sure you don’t overcook them or they’ll crumble on the baking sheet.

When they’re done, drain away the poaching stock and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature.

When you’re ready to roast them, slice them in halves and place them skin-side down on a baking sheet (you might want to spray it with Pam before putting the potato halves on it).

Then season each half with the sprinkling spice, generously drizzle on the olive oil, and liberally top each potato half with a handful of shredded cheese.

All that’s left to do now is to slide the pan into the preheated oven and roast the taters until they turn a rich golden brown and their edges turn crusty.

When you’re ready to eat, serve them up with the trout and garnish them with a scattering of parsley, a pinch of green onions, a couple of pats of butter, and sour cream.

THE TOMATO SALAD MEDLEY
4 medium tomatoes, medium diced
1 large bell pepper, medium diced
4-6 green onions, sliced
4 Tbsp. parsley, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Frank Davis Sprinkling Spice

First place a large salad bowl on the countertop (if you want to rub down the inside with a couple of whole garlic cloves, go ahead!).

Then drop in the diced tomatoes, the bell pepper, the green onions, and the parsley and toss it all together until uniformly blended.

Now, evenly drizzle on the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and season the salad to taste with the sprinkling spice.

At this point, toss the mixture once again until everything is completely coated with the seasonings. Before serving, I suggest that you chill the salad for at least 30 minutes.

This salad medley makes a nice accompaniment to the baked trout and roasted potatoes.