Baked Trout With Spinach Butter Sauce Recipes

CRISPY TROUT WITH KITCHEN BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• If it's convenient, set the serving plates to warm in a low oven (175 degrees F) as you prepare the fish.
• For the sauce, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and cook them briefly until lightly browned. Add the cream, bring it to a boil and reduce quickly by half. Add the remaining 10 tablespoons butter gradually, pat by pat, whisking until incorporated. When the sauce is smooth and thick, discard the garlic and thyme and add the chives, sherry vinegar, tarragon and salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat two large cast-iron skillets over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and dust the skin sides with the flour. When the pans are hot, add enough canola oil to thinly coat the bottom of each and add a fish to each pan, skin-side down. Cook until the skins turn golden brown and opaque doneness creeps into the pink flesh of the fish. You want to cook the fish nearly all the way through on the skin side. Flip the fish and transfer them to a plate to keep warm in the oven. Cook the remaining fish.
• Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of sauce onto each warm plate, top with a trout, skin side pointing up, and serve immediately.

PANFRIED TROUT WITH SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Put cornmeal on a large plate. Lightly pat fish with paper towels and season with salt and pepper, then coat fillet well with cornmeal.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté one third of spinach, stirring constantly, until slightly wilted but still bright green, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer cooked spinach to a bowl. Sauté remaining spinach with remaining oil in same manner. Season with salt.
• Wipe skillet with a paper towel, then heat 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. Increase heat to moderately high and sauté two fillets, skin sides down first, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes (do not clean skillet). Repeat with remaining butter and fillets, then reserve browned butter in skillet.
• Divide spinach among plates and top with pine nuts and fish, then drizzle fish with browned butter.

BAKED TROUT WITH SPINACH-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375° F.
• Clean the trout and wash well, making sure to remove the line of blood from the inside near the backbone. Dry with paper towels and season inside and out with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put a lump of butter and a sprig of fennel into the center of each trout. Take a large sheet of aluminum foil and smear a little butter on the center. Put the trout onto the buttered bit and fold over the edges into a papillote shape. Seal well to ensure that none of the juices can escape. Repeat with the other trout. Put the two foil parcels on a baking sheet, making sure they are not touching. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the spinach-butter sauce. Remove any large stems from the spinach and wash well. Cook in 2 1/2 cups salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes or until just soft and tender. Drain, pressing out every last drop of water, then mince the spinach. Put the cream into a saucepan and simmer on low heat until reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Then, on a very low heat, whisk in the butter bit by bit as though you were making a hollandaise sauce. Stir in the spinach.
• When the fish is cooked, open the parcels and use some of the delicious juices to thin the sauce. Put the two parcels on a hot serving dish and bring to the table. Skin the fish and lift the juicy pink flesh onto hot plates. Spoon the spinach-butter sauce over the fish and eat immediately.