A whole grilled trout stuffed with tarragon and lemon may sound really fancy, but it really is a simple and tasty way to up your BBQ game.
Whole BBQ Fish
Most minds leap to sausages and burgers when it comes to cooking on a BBQ or a grill.
If something fishy is thought of, it is typically BBQ Prawns!
But that smoky flavour and high heat are great for cooking whole fish. This whole trout recipe features a stuffing of anise-flavoured tarragon and some lemon.
Seriously, nothing else is required other than a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper and dinner is served!
You can cook this dish using all sorts of fish, everything from snapper to sea bass, all of which work well.
Once you have this recipe nailed down, it is just a short step to something a little more complex... My BBQ Tandoori fish is ALWAYS the recipe that kicks off my BBQ season!
How to Prepare the Fish
If you can, I would suggest that you get a fishmonger to prepare your fish for you.
It is not a difficult job, but it is "icky".
But if you cannot find someone to do it for you, here is a brief guide.
- Rub the skin of the fish with the back of a knife in a direction running from the tail to the head.
- Once the scales have been removed, run under cold water.
- Cut off all the fins.
- Look at the belly of the fish, you will find a hole, yes, it is that hole.
- Place the tip of a sharp knife just through the skin and cut up towards the head.
- Follow the gills from the side of the head to under the mouth. These will form a "triangle"; cut this triangle with some sharp scissors.
- Put your fingers into the gills and firmly pull; this will remove the innards and gills in one step.
- Clean the inside of the fish under running water.
Like I say, icky, but it takes no more than a few minutes.
Serving Suggestions.
This recipe is incredibly simple, and I tend to keep my sides equally simple.
If it is in season, I usually just grill up some asparagus and cut some radishes in half and throw them on the BBQ.
But if you wanted something you can prepare in advance them a big bowl of my roasted vegetable couscous salad would work a treat.
If I wanted a sauce, I would knock up a quick classic parsley sauce.
Grilled BBQ Trout Recipe with Tarragon and Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Trout
- 1 Large Lemon
- 30 g Tarragon 1 Cup
- Coarse Sea Salt (to taste)
- Black Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cut the lemon into slices 4-5mm thick (¼").
- Roll the tarragon into a ball and crush it in your hands to release the oils.
- Season the cavity of the fish with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Add 2-3 slices of lemon to the cavity.
- Stuff as much of the tarragon as you can into the fish.
- Season the skin of the fish really well with salt.
- Pop the fish into a fish basket and brush the grill grate with a little oil.
- Now add the fish and cook it over the coals for 5-7 minutes each side.
Imelda
Monday 19th of April 2021
Absolutely delicious! First time I’ve cooked trout on charcoal bbq! Although I burnt it on one side (charcoal heat a bit too high, my first time to charcoal bbq on my own) the rainbow trout flesh was still moist, soft and delicious! Tarragon and lemon just gave the trout such a beautiful taste. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I will definitely add this as a family favourite!
Brian Jones
Tuesday 20th of April 2021
Excellent, glad you enjoyed it Imelda :)
Laura
Friday 8th of February 2019
LOL, we might end up doing the same. We have a built-in barbecue but the iron bars and the ashtray below are melting away from too much use. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the right measurement so we need to custom make them, that is why we are procrastinating. So we take chances and one of those days all the ashed will fall on our feet. I love this trout recipe, I will try it next weekend
Aleka
Friday 8th of February 2019
Oh boy, I'm crashing the party next time! This looks so tasty! Simple and fresh are the way to go. I love, love, love that you used tarragon! I think it is an underused herb. With that said, I have yet to throw it into a fish recipe so thanks for a great one!!
Chichi
Friday 8th of February 2019
That must have taken the fun away when it was a chore instead of fun all those years ago in Hungary. I am glad you can enjoy grilling again and the trout must have tasted awesome.
Nancy
Friday 29th of June 2018
Hi, could you share where you bought the grilling frame for the fish please? It’s nifty!
Thanks, Nancy
Brian Jones
Saturday 30th of June 2018
I have no idea I am afraid Nancy, it would have been a store somewhere here in Rural Hungary... Try searching for BBQ Fish Basket or Grill Fish Basket in your local online market. I believe they are pretty common.