Fresh trout, great group of friends, a hot grill and a recipe that dates to a time so long ago the history of the peoples who created it is mostly forgotten. So, we’ll revive both this recipe and history by using our Great American Cajun Seasoning.
History and food is so much fun and in this case the long winding story of an entire culture known as the Cajun’s all begins with their settlement of area's in Canadian and U.S. Maritime where as a French culture they were known as Acadians and they flourished. But back to our trout, let’s prepare that and we’ll continue our story.
Ingredients:
- 1 trout, 2 to 3 pounds and cleaned
- 1 green onion
- 2 large Portobello mushrooms stems removed
- Great American Cajun Seasoning
- 1 pinch basil
- 1 pinch thyme
- 1 pinch dill
- 1 pinch tarragon
- Lemon
- Parsley
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
Start with having our trout cleaned inside and out, remove the scales which will let you eat crispy skin while taking down the ‘fishy’ fish flavor. You could go one more step and allow the fish to sit in a milk bath beforehand. This generally helps and if it doesn’t that fish you have is better off in the garden than on a platter!
Milk bathing has been done for thousands of years but the spices in our recipe of Great American Cajun Seasoning likely began to develop after the Acadians were forcibly moved to Louisiana in 1765.
In 1763 the Treaty of Paris was signed which ended the 7-year war between Britain, France and Spain. A war won by a crucial battle in 1759 outside the walls of Quebec City, a famous conflict now known as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. But more on that in a moment because now that our trout is prepped we’ve got to finish up and ready everything for the grill.
Chop up your Portobello mushroom and set them aside.
Prepping your fish includes cutting two or three slits on each side of your trout.
Now salt and pepper the inside and outside of both sides of the trout.
Fill trout cavity with herbs and chopped green onion.
Brush both sides in olive oil and lemon juice.
And as a final treatment before the grill, sprinkle both sides with Great American Cajun Seasoning.
Now back to our story! It’s 1759, General Wolfe in charge of the British forces had been taking loss after loss by a French army using guerilla fighting tactics. Wolfe can’t get the French to commit to a battle and with sustained defeats, he’s losing something more important, moral. He decides on one audacious plot that has his own equals in the British military thinking him insane.
On the evening of September 12, 1759 with the French completely unaware, General Wolfe quietly moved his 3,000 men, cannon and supplies down the St. Lawrence to a spot just a few miles from the walls of Quebec City.
During the night, Wolfe, thousands of infantry, hundreds of cavalry, all of their heavy cannon and supplies, scaled up a 173-foot sheer cliff. They did so successfully, assembling to confront a very surprised General Montcalm and his forces on the Plains of Abraham situated just outside the walls of Quebec City. The French were quickly and soundly defeated.
The British now had the St. Lawrence seaway under their control and with it controlled the vital waterway supply chain to all of France’s interior strongholds, such as Montreal. The French wilted and in just a few years afterwards, together with her ally Spain, conceded defeat to Britain. Changing the balance of history forever and causing the expulsion of an entire people to the French territory of Louisiana where they would be known, as Cajun’s forever more.
And with our story told the only thing left for us to do is finish off dinner with a quick grill!
Throw your trout on the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes each side. Brush your Portobello mushroom slices in oil and sprinkle them with Great American Cajun Seasoning. When you’ve flipped the trout the first time, add the mushroom slices. When your trout is finished cooking you’ll remove them both.
Add to a platter, garnish with fresh lemon wedges and chopped parsley. Absolutely Delicious!
Serves 2