Baked Veggie Slaw Stuffed Trout

This is a dish I came up with last year, adapting an old Italian recipe and some ideas from tv cooking shows to use with trout.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2  whole trout
• 1  medium fennel bulb
• 1  large sweet onion
• 2  large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 3  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2  teaspoons sea salt
•  cracked black pepper
• 6  pieces  kitchen twine

Directions

1. Remove the head, fins, and tail of the cleaned trout, and wash out any remaining guts, and pat dry.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Slice the fennel and onion in half, then thinly slice them on a long bias, so that they are kinda stringy. A mandoline is helpful for this.
4. Place sliced veggies in a large bowl, add some salt and pepper, parsley, the balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, and toss to combine.
5. Stuff the veggie slaw, along with one of the small bundles of thyme into the body cavities of each fish, and tie to help hold it inches Place the fish in an oiled baking dish, stuff any remaining veggies into and around the belly of the fishes so that it is overflowing.
6. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 400 for 25 to 30 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the veggies are soft.
7. The skin should just peel away, and the meat flake away from the bones.