Makes four servings. Requires four skewers.
24 ounces walleye, filleted and skin removed
1 pound thick-cut bacon from deli
1 of each: red, yellow, green bell pepper and medium red onion, chopped
12-16 large cherry tomatoes (optional)
Light dusting of salt and pepper
To prepare vegetables: Cut top and bottom off the onion, peel paper skin and discard. Cut the onion in half, then quarter and chop to produce chunks no smaller than 1-inch by 1-inch. For bell peppers, cut off tops and bottoms. Slice open body of pepper. Remove stem, pulp and seeds. Similar to the onion, quarter peppers then chop into chunks no smaller than 1-inch by 1-inch. Place vegetables in a bowl and set aside.
To prepare bacon-wrapped walleye: Cut bacon strips in half. From walleye fillets, cut 1- to 2-ounce, 2-inch strips (width should resemble width of bacon, ideally). Roll up walleye fillet, then place atop bacon strip and roll into bacon. Set aside until ready to assemble kebabs.
To assemble kebabs: There is no designated order for vegetables and meat. Create your own pattern, though try to fit at least four bacon-wrapped bacon bits on each skewer. I prefer stainless steel skewers versus bamboo skewers because bamboo skewers require a good soaking and may still burn when grilling. Tip: Place an onion or bell pepper chunk on each end, not a tomato, to secure skewer. Pack skewer tightly. A loosely packed skewer may result in losing pieces to the grill or difficulty turning and cooking evenly.
To grill kebabs: Important: make sure your grill is clean. Leftover fats or char burrs can become adhesive when hot, making it hard to turn kebabs and possibly causing walleye to stick to the grill. Make sure the grill is hot (minimum 350 degrees) before placing kebabs on the grill. Place kebab skewers parallel with grate to facilitate turning. Apply a light dusting of salt and pepper over the entire length of kebabs. Ideally, only the bacon part of walleye bits needs to touch grill — keep this in mind when turning. Consider using two sets of tongs when turning skewers. When grilling, cover with the lid, monitor heat source regularly and be certain not to burn. Rotate skewers 90 degrees every couple minutes. Kebabs are done when vegetables are crisp — slightly charred — and bacon is brown, not necessarily crisp.