Rainbow Trout

Every evening I get the same phone call as I am walking out of work. I call it the potato chip call.
"Mom." (She never states what she wants right away, I always have to say "yes?" Drives me nuts.)
"Yes?"
"Can I have some candy or chips as a snack?"
"No, have some grapes."
"Ok, what are we having for supper?"
"I'm not sure."
" The boys in class were bad again today. And you should stop at Morey's and get something there for supper."

I did stop at Morey's once again tonight to pick up some salmon and got tempted instead by the display of rainbow trout in the cooler. It was an easy choice since both Kevin and Miss Chocoholic love fish and they especially love trout. Kevin likes to pretend that in all his fishing and hunting trips he is actually the "hunter and gatherer" and providing for his family. Since bringing a piece of trout home would probably involve another mandatory fishing trip to Lake of the Woods, it is always cheaper to buy a couple of fillets from Morey's, regardless of what Kevin may try to tell you.
The trout was happy to come home with me because it knew it was going to get a nice mustard sauce and warm cedar plank bed. I soaked a cedar plank for about fifteen minutes. I know... it should have been longer but I was in a hurry. I turned the grill on and put the plank with the trout on the grill.

One time I cooked salmon the same way and the oils from the salmon ran down into the grill. The oil and the plank caught fire and wouldn't stop burning no matter how I tried beating it with the spatula. Luckily, the salmon was only singed on the edges and I managed to scoop the salmon onto a plate and then carried the flaming plank down to the fire pit balanced on my spatula. Thank God Kevin didn't see that happen! This time nothing caught fire. I sprinkled the trout with some Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper and dill. It didn't take it long to cook, maybe fifteen minutes at the most.I made a mustard glaze by starting a saucepan with garlic and some Barefoot Chardonnay. I let that boil, then added some brown mustard, horseradish and dill. A little mayo helped dilute the salty taste.

I cooked a box of couscous in chicken broth to go with the trout. If you have never tried couscous before, it is a Middle Eastern grain that can be eaten like rice. It is nice to have a different starch once in awhile and we eat couscous frequently at our house. Both Kevin and Miss Chocoholic like it.

I served dinner with the rest of the bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay. This chardonnay is the best bang for your buck. It is only about seven dollars a bottle and has a smooth, lemony taste that goes well with fish. Kevin and Miss Chocoholic ate everything while making little moany sounds. Miss Chocoholic even asked for seconds.

Grilling on a cedar plank gives fish a smoky, silky taste that you don't get from seasoning. This was actually a healthy and delicious meal. Now my tummy is full, Kevin went out to the fish house on the ice to pretend to hunt and gather, Miss Chocoholic is doing homework and I will finish my wine and see who makes a fool of themselves on American Idol tonight. Happy cooking!