Baked trout, tomato salad

"I came here to this store specifically to look your trout square in the eyes."

Both men behind the counter laughed. What a weirdo, they must be thinking.

"These fish on ice look happy to be here."

The men are so amused with me. Apparently they usually only get Cranky McCrankpots around there. Or maybe they both appreciate a guy who knows exactly what he came for, that's different too. 

That was two days ago, it looked better then.

Ugh, ya got me, and my guts spilled out.

The stuffing inside the fish keeps it moist should I overdo it, and the salad share ingredients but not completely. What happens to the mint that cooks inside the fish is completely different from the mint that stays fresh and touched with dressing, the corn changes in there with herbs too. 

Dressing made here.

The stuffing is ad hoc with ingredients on hand. It's like Chopped over here. And I must say it exceeds expectation. I held off tasting it because it is kind of gross inside there and when the flavors bloomed in my mouth so perfectly balanced with butter, vermouth, lemon, onion, sage, rosemary, black pepper, corn, mint, basil and shrimp. It was like an ace restaurant experience right there in my dining room. 

This is an excellent meal that I would be proud and pleased to serve anyone, even to someone who claims not to like seafood, for whatever reason, I believe this can change one's opinion.

If you would say, and I've heard this more times than is reasonable, "I do not eat seafood." Then I would shoot back at you, kindly of course, "It's freshwater trout. Not the sea, nanner nanner nanner so eat it!

At the table.

A bloke I know showed me how to do this, so adroitly he didn't miss a single tiny bone, and I go, "Oh, Man, that's like Jerry the cat, or more probably Tom, in the cartoon who picks through the trash bins with the lid to the bin like a waiter's serving tray." 

I've not been able to do it that well.