Wood Grilled Trout Stuffed with Herbs

I'm doing this from memory of this dish at Woodfire Grill in Atlanta. If you haven't been to Woodfire Grill then drop whatever you're doing and make reservations right now. Try to get David as your waiter; he's a consummate professional. Ask him to suggest wine pairings with your meal and you won't be sorry. Take time to savor every bite at this fine restaurant (and tip David well).

Equipment:
Filet knife
Fish scaler

Protein:
Small trout

Stuffing:
Rosemary
Shallot
Bay leaf

Scale, gut, and rinse trout.

Lightly salt the cavity of each and also give each a few grindings of fine white pepper. Stuff each with one small sprig of rosemary, a few slices of shallot, and a couple of small bay leaves.

Brush with the lightest possibly film of olive oil and grill over gentle wood heat until the flesh feels right when the skin is touched. Turn only once.

Skin should be paper thin and crisp. The perfect skin that Woodfire Grill turns out is still beautifully silver, except for the stripes that touched the grill. So it looks like either indirect heat or the fire source is relatively far away from the grill surface. After all, it's a small fish.

Serve with steamed baby squash and Vidalia onion jam, and perhaps a few pieces of lightly seasoned roasted fingerlings or new potatoes.