Pan-Roasted Whole Trout in Cast Iron

You can substitute the trout for any similar-sized whole fish. If the fish are too long to fit inside your pan, remove the heads and/or tails before you stuff and cook.

Don’t want to fire up the grill? Move this recipe indoors and cook it on the stovetop.

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Pat the trout dry with paper towels and season the inside with salt and pepper. Cut half of the lemon into thin slices, and stuff each trout with 2 or 3 of them (save the rest of the lemon for squeezing). Top the lemon with a small bunch of herbs and season outside of the fish with salt.

Place a large cast iron skillet — the Field No.10 or No.12 will work best — over the fire and let it heat up for a few minutes. (If cooking indoors, preheat the pan over medium-high heat). Add the oil to the skillet. When it shimmers, add the trout and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a fish spatula or two pairs of tongs, carefully flip the trout over. Continue cooking until opaque throughout, about 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the butter and capers. Once the butter melts and begins to smell nutty, about 2 minutes, transfer the fish to serving plates. Squeeze the lemon into the skillet, add the parsley, and stir briefly. Spoon the butter-caper sauce over the fish and serve.

Cleaning

Serve promptly and use a paper towel to immediately remove butter-caper sauce residue from the skillet. (Be careful! The pan will still be hot.) When pan has cooled enough to handle, rinse well, wash with a firm cleaning brush, dry thoroughly, and apply a dab of Field Seasoning Oil.