Grilled Trout, or Trota in Gradela: This recipe from the Vicentino calls for fario trout, a variety that lives close to the bottom, in running water. They rarely exceed 8 inches in length, reach maturity at 2-3 years of age, and have firm, delicately flavored flesh ideally suited to the grill. In short, ideal for home or campground.

See Also

More about the Vicentino and other recipes

Selecting fish and estimating cooking times

La Galleria del Pesce

Ingredients

• 4 Fario trout
  
• 4 small bay leaves
  
• A sprig of rosemary
  
• Olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• A lemon

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes

• Total Time: 30 minutes

Preparation

Light a fire, ideally hardwood, and let the coals burn down. While this is happening, slice up the bellies of the trout and clean them. Rinse them well inside and out and pat them dry inside, and dry their bodies as well, rubbing briskly to remove the slime that makes them so difficult to grab. Slip a bay leaf into the cavity of each trout, together with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Put the trout on a large plate and drizzle them with good olive oil, making certain to coat the fish completely.

Lay them over the grill (the coals should be hot but not searing), and cook them on both sides, using the sprig of rosemary to baste them every now and again with the oil left on the plate.

When the backbones of the fish, which you'll be able to see through the cuts in their bellies, are no longer pink, but rather white, the fish are done. Arrange them on a serving dish, drizzle them with a little more oil, and serve them with lemon wedges, leaving the bay leaves in the cavities, but lightly salting the crispy skins.

A wine? White, Sauvignon Bianco dei Berici, or Tocai Bianco dei Berici.

Yield: 4 servings grilled trout, trota in gradela.