Ingredients

4 whole trout, cleaned with heads and tails removed

1 (16-oz) bottle cajun marinade

1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes with green peppers, celery and onion

1/4 tsp. liquid smoke

1 Tbsp. cajun seasoning

1/4 c. real crumbled bacon

12-8 inch pieces butchers twine

8 slices thick-cut bacon

How to

Set up grill for cooking over medium heat. Oil the grate when ready to start cooking.

Place trout in a large zip-top bag and cover with marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for sauce. Marinade for 30 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, combine reserved marinade, tomatoes, liquid smoke, cajun seasoning and crumbled bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes and set aside.

Lay three pieces of butchers twine horizontally of a sheet pan, evenly spaced. Lay one slice of bacon vertically on top of the butcher twine. Place one fish on top of the bacon slice. Top the fish with another slice of bacon. Tie each piece of twine so that you have three knots securely holding the fish in place. Repeat the process with all of the remaining fish. Place the whole fish on the grill. Cook for a total of 15 to 18 minutes, turning every three to four minutes. Watch for flare-ups from the bacon slices.

Remove from the grill and untie the twine from the fish. Top with cajun tomato sauce and serve warm.

If you must cook indoors, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the prepared trout on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast the fish for 30 minutes.

Capt. Dick May is the owner of Easy Rider Charters in Bokeelia. He can be reached at 283-3247 or easyridercharters.com. Capt. Dick’s Florida Gulf Coast Seafood and Much More (cookbook) $11.50 plus $2.50 postage by calling the number above or mailing to 7989 Judge Bean Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922. Make checks payable to Dick May.