Trout Fillets Stuffed with Crabmeat and Shrimp

One trout fillet, skin left on
1 pound snow crab legs
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 1/2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
real butter
lemon
fresh ground pepper

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start with a fillet from a 6-8 pound or bigger trout. Place the fillet, skin side down. With your filet knife, carefully slice down to the skin on both sides of the pin bones. Do not slice through the skin, but remove the entire row of bones, creating a lengthwise pocket in the fillet. Continue the pocket to within an inch or so of the tail end. Place in buttered shallow baking dish or cookie sheet with sides.
Remove all crabmeat from shells and combine with breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, and Old Bay, do not add additional salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside. You can adjust the amount of crabmeat and shrimp to the size of fillet you have. Don't use too much mayonnaise or bread crumbs, these are only binders.
Make a row of shrimp along the fillet by placing the tail ends into the pocket and draping the body of the shrimp along the thin side of the fillet with the head end of the shrimp pointing toward the fillet's thick (front) end. Carefully stuff the pocket with all of the crabmeat mixture, mounding any extra on top. This will anchor the tails of the shrimp into the fillet. Make a second row of shrimp by placing one between each shrimp in the first row. Tuck the middle of the shrimp in the first row.
Sprinkle the entire creation with Old Bay and fresh ground pepper, then drizzle 2 to 4 tablespoons of butter over the top. This is very important to keep the moisture inside of the fish. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh lemon and serve immediately. Cut the fish into serving portions, slipping the spatula between fish and skin to serve.