Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Trout

30 minutes, plus 15 to 45 mins for setting up gas or charcoal grill, respectively

4 servings

If you have trepidation about grilling whole fish, try this recipe from grilling expert and cookbook author Elizabeth Karmel. The fish is seasoned simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, and stuffed with fresh herbs. It is then wrapped in center-cut, hickory-smoked bacon. The bacon serves two purposes: It adds flavor, but it also prevents the fish from sticking to the grates. Keeping the head and tail on the fish while it grills results in more flavor and helps keep the fish intact during the cooking time, Karmel says. Karmel likes to make this dish with trout, but other small, white-fleshed fish, such as snapper or branzino work well, too.

One tip: This is not the time for thick artisanal bacon. Use thin, centercut bacon, which has less fat and so will not shrink as much when cooked. Make sure the strips are at room temperature, so they will easily wrap around the fish and stay in place.

Make Ahead: The fish can be oiled, seasoned with pepper, stuffed with herbs, wrapped in bacon and then tightly wrapped and refrigerated up to 1 day before grilling. Do not season with salt if preparing in advance because this will cause the fish to dry out.

Storage Notes: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

INGREDIENTS

4 whole trout or branzino (about 1 pound each), gutted and cleaned (see NOTES)

Olive oil

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper 4 to 8 sprigs fresh tarragon,

plus more for serving 12 slices center-cut hickorysmoked bacon, room temperature, plus more as needed

2 zucchini (about 1 1⁄4

pounds total)