Whole Trout (Or Fillets) Stuffed W/Bacon & Eggplant Dressing

DH is an avid fisherman & our freezer has a near endless supply of trout he catches in the summer. We're also fond of eggplant & I have a cookbook devoted to it. I found this recipe at the Food Network site & it has been a favorite for yrs now. The recipe uses whole trout cooked on a grill, but DH usually filets our trout b4 freezing. In that case, I oven-broil the trout to an almost flaky state, spread the dressing atop the filets & complete the dish under the broiler to finish cooking the trout & heat the dressing. This is incredibly good & worth the extra effort. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 6  slices  white bread
• 1  cup water
• 6  ounces bacon (chopped)
• 1  cup onion (chopped)
•  salt (to taste)
•  cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1  medium eggplant (diced)
• 2  teaspoons garlic (minced)
• 1⁄4 cup fresh herb (such as parsley, basil, tarragon & chervil, finely chopped)
• 2  ounces parmigiano-reggiano cheese (grated)
• 1 (2 -3 lb)  trout (cleaned)
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1  lemon, juice of (may sub lime)
•  extra virgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Directions

1. Place bread in lrg glass dish. Pour water over bread & allow to sit for 10 minutes.
2. In a lrg skillet over med heat, cook bacon till crisp. Remove w/a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels & set aside.
3. Add onion to skillet & cook 2 minutes. Add eggplant, season w/salt & cayenne & cook till wilted (about 4 min). Remove the pan from the heat, turn the mixture into a mixing bowl & cool completely.
4. Remove the bread from the water & squeeze out all the water.
5. Add the bread, bacon & garlic to the eggplant mixture & mix well. Stir in the herb mixture + cheese & set aside.
6. Preheat grill & season trout w/salt & cayenne.
7. Place the trout in the center of a piece of foil. Spoon the dressing into the cavity of the trout. Add the wine & wrap the trout tightly in the foil, forming a pouch.
8. Place the trout on the grill over a low flame & cook 25-30 min or till flaky.
9. Remove from the grill, squeeze lemon or lime juice over the trout & serve on a lrg platter. Drizzle the entire plate w/extra-virgin olive oil & garnish w/fresh parsley.