Pineapple Cherry stuffed Steel Head Trout

Hi everyone !!! Who`s as stocked about the Canucks as I am ? what an amazing game today, and to think I passed up free tickets to make dinner at home this evening. At at least dinner was well worth the sacrifice, I just wish my TV didn't glitch out on me right in the middle of second period.

What we`re looking at today is a Steel Head Trout stuffed with quinoa, pineapple and cherries, a fennel and dill salad dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil all on a bed of pea shoots, lemon slices to garnish.

For Quinoa salad:

1/4 cup white Quinoa

1/3 cup finely chopped Pineapple

1/4 cup finely chopped cherries

The first thing you should do is rinse your quinoa, then set onto a medium-high heat with 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water ( just like rice), while the quinoa is cooking chop your pineapple and cherries up nice and small. When the quinoa is done cooking take off the heat and mix the fruit into the pot and set a side for later use.

Fennel salad and dressing:

1/2 teaspoon dijon

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt 

about 1/2 cut of chopped fresh dill

1/2 fennel bulb

Just toss all of this in a bowl and whisk it up into a nice dressing. As for the fennel, I hope you have a japanese mandelon at home to slice it if not then i recommend getting one because it will be such a big help to you. Now all you want to do is slice this as thinly as possible and toss with your vinaigrette then set aside in the fridge to let in marinate until it's time to plate.

( This is a japanese mandelon )

For the Trout:

fillet knife

kitchen shears

Fabrication tweezers 

butchers twine

First you nee too preheat your oven to 400. 

It's simple once you have some practice but de-boning a trout is never fun. The first this you want to do is when your at the super market is make sure the fish has been gutted and de-scaled properly. Now too prepare it for stuffing you need to use the fillet knife to cut the rib bones away from the spine, and then slice the meat away from the spine as well.

Next take your shears and slowly snip the spine out

After you've removed the spine take your tweezers and remove all the tiny rib bones.

Now all you need to do is stuff and tie it up so that you wont lose all the filling.

Once it's stuffed and tied up season with salt and pepper while heating up your pan, use a generous amount of oil to cook the fish. First sear on one side until the skin is crispy and then flip gently. Once flipped sear for two minutes and place your 3 lemon slices on top of the fish then throw in the oven for 12-15 minutes. 

When you take the fish out of the oven place a small bed of pea shoots on the plate, and the Fennel salad on top of that, finishing with the Trout. I really hope everyone will give this a try, I just loved this dish to death and cant wait to make it again, but I'm going to have too because I have a lot of chicken in the fridge I need to do away with today and tomorrow...hmmmm maybe a chicken burger of some kind?? I'm open to suggestions if any of you know what i should have for lunch tomorrow then let me know !! For now I have a few things to take care of so this is Chef De Cuisine wishing you all a great day and great food !!