Baked Spotted Trout with Crab Stuffing

Recipe

• 6 spotted trout fillets
• ½ pound fresh backfin crabmeat
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup minced celery
• ½ cup minced onion
• ¼ cup minced green pepper
• 1 cup fresh, fine bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper      
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Lightly sauté celery, onion and green pepper. Be careful not to brown. Stir in crumbs, eggs, lemon juice, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and paprika.

Remove from heat.  Gently fold in crab meat.

Layout fillets on a work surface, skin sides up. Spoon stuffing onto fillets. Roll up each fillet and place seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with 1 ½ tablespoons melted butter. Lightly salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Contributed by Joyce Taylor MM2