Need some help with fish...

My FIL caught a lovely large trout in our local river on Saturday morning and gave it to us. My MIL had already gutted it and cut the head off. But now, I don't know what to do with it. I mean, I usually only eat deboned fillets of fish. Unfortunately, I don't have any very sharp knives (though I desperately need one, but can't afford the chef knives I want). So, I'm just wondering what is the best way to deal with this fish? I'm such a novice about this stuff as I only buy fish already filleted and everything. My MIL says I can roast it and the meat will fall off the bones, is this true? 

I think if you roast it whole in the oven, that is true! The meat will come off the bone really easily, however, like any fish, you always have to be cautious and look out for bones! Good luck, let us know how it turns out!

Somewhere on the internets, there should be video of how to debone a fish using a fork (my DH does it..).  As far as I can tell, it happens after it is cooked and involves somehow "lifting" the entire spine out as one piece. He may have used a knife (not a super sharp one though) to sort of "expose" the spine.
I have, however, never attempted it myself. Good luck! The fish sounds lovely!

Could you take it to your local fish monger?

Could you take it to your local fish monger?

Probably not, as I'm pretty sure the whole town rolls up the pavements before I get off work at 4:30! 

I love trout and often cook it.  You could roast it in the oven or grill it.  I usually make two or three cuts into the flesh and rub either butter or olive oil into the fish.  You can put herbs, butter, lemon etc into the middle to keep it moist and flavour it too.  Then just grill under a medium/hot grill for about 7 to 8 minutes a side. 

Once cooked the skin should peel off easily at which point you can lift the flesh off the bones. (If it doesn't it's not cooked through.)  I do this on my plate as I'm eating it but my daughter prefers me to do this in the kitchen and present her with the flesh only - your choice!

I love trout and often cook it.  You could roast it in the oven or grill it.  I usually make two or three cuts into the flesh and rub either butter or olive oil into the fish.  You can put herbs, butter, lemon etc into the middle to keep it moist and flavour it too.  Then just grill under a medium/hot grill for about 7 to 8 minutes a side. 

Once cooked the skin should peel off easily at which point you can lift the flesh off the bones. (If it doesn't it's not cooked through.)  I do this on my plate as I'm eating it but my daughter prefers me to do this in the kitchen and present her with the flesh only - your choice!

Oh thanks, I guess I could give that a go. I'm sure I could use the leftover cooked fish to make fish cakes or something, too. I won't ever know how to do it if I don't just give it a try!

You could also do it on the barbecue. Shove some fresh rosemary, lemon slices and garlic inside it and either use one of those fancy fish basket things if you're lucky enough to have one (we don't ) or make a little foil holder for it.

You could also do it on the barbecue. Shove some fresh rosemary, lemon slices and garlic inside it and either use one of those fancy fish basket things if you're lucky enough to have one (we don't ) or make a little foil holder for it.

We don't have a barbecue. Not enough hot days up here by the coast to bother!  But I will stuff some lemon slices and garlic and butter in the middle and coat the outside of the fish with some olive oil and sea salt and bake it and see what happens.  It's a pretty big fish, so kind of thick. I wonder how long it will take to bake?

Whenever we got mountain trout in Colorado, we would do exactly that--stuff lemon slices and garlic inside.  We'd also wrap it in foil and stick in the campfire for a while, but I think an oven would be fine as a substitute.

How much does it weigh, approximately?

Whenever we got mountain trout in Colorado, we would do exactly that--stuff lemon slices and garlic inside.  We'd also wrap it in foil and stick in the campfire for a while, but I think an oven would be fine as a substitute.

How much does it weigh, approximately?

I'm not really sure since the batteries went dead on my scales, but I think it probably weighs about a pound a half? I was out of garlic so I just made a paste of butter, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dried dill and smeared that inside, put some lemon slices in there and olive oil, salt and pepper on the outside. I wrapped it in foil, but will unwrap it after its been in the oven for a bit. I hope it turns out! Oh, and I washed it inside and out, really well, and then dried the outside with kitchen roll so the oil would stick better. We'll see what happens! Man, it's moments like this when I feel so out of touch with nature... someone hands me a fish and I say "what am I going to do with this?" LOL.

How did it come out Jewlz?

I usually take a whole trout and stuff it with fennel, garlic, shallots, lemons, and thyme. 

Mmmm I love trout. 

Oh wow... that was really easy. I just touched the skin with the tongs and it peeled off so easily and sure enough, all the bones and the spine just popped out! Man, I was so pleased with myself!  I now know what to do when someone hands me a fresh fish! Well, other than the gutting it thing, though I'm sure I could figure that out (not that I'd want to!)

The only problem was that it didn't have much flavour at all. It was perfectly cooked, but it only tasted like, well... fish. I think next time I will be using a LOT more seasoning than I did this time, which actually seemed like a lot!

Well done you!!!

Well done you!!!

Thanks! I was so pleased with it, even if it didn't have a lot of flavour this time. I'm sure I might get another fish or two to work with soon. I got a few fresh trout and salmon last year, but my FIL filleted them for me, but since he was sick this time, so he didn't do it. Now he won't ever need to!