How to Cook Grunt Fish

...
George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Grunt fish -- also known as grey trout -- are typically found in the coastal waters of Florida. Cooking grunt fish is a simple proposition accomplished on any home stove or campfire grill. The most expeditious and delicious way to prepare a grunt fish is to filet the creature before cooking. Fileting involves removing the skin and meat from the bones before cooking.

Rinse the grunt clean with cold water. Place the fish onto a cutting board. Hold the fish upright -- with its underside flush against the cutting board. Insert the tip of a sharp knife into the back of the fish at the base of the head. Slice down toward the tail, opening the skin.

Grab the head of the fish and hold it vertically. Slice the side patches of skin off of the fish beginning at the base of the head. Slice of strips of meat down to the ribs on both sides of the fish. Cut off the tail and head -- as needed -- and complete the meat removal. Avoid removing bones and innards to prevent unpleasant acids from damaging the meat.

Preheat a stove burner or open flame gill to medium heat.

Drip a layer of olive oil into a frying pan or on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place the meat into the olive oil. Use a frying pan and foil for a stove or open flame grill, respectively.

Season the fish with spices or toppings of your choice -- parsley, marjoram or paprika, for example. Crumble saltine crackers onto the fish to add a crispy, breaded quality.

Cook the fish for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the fish from the hot surface when the meat begins to flake.