Crispy Trout Starter 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.

CRISPY TROUT STARTER

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, dill seeds, sea salt, and pepper with the olive oil. Coat each piece of trout with the spice mixture.
• In a nonstick pan heat the canola oil and sear the trout on the skin side 1 minute, until crispy. Flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds, or longer if you prefer it well done. Keep warm.
• For the fennel salad: Mix the fennel, apple, celery olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper together. Garnish the trout with the shaved fennel salad.

LEVAIN (STARTER)

Steps:

• Add the flour directly into the container with the full batch of room-temperature, batter-like ripe chef. Stir vigorously to add fresh oxygen to the mixture. This will form a stiff consistency more like a stiff dough than a batter. This firm texture is important for ripening levain, because a dense rather than loose levain creates delicious sour bread without an overpowering tangy bite. Scrape down the sides, cover tightly and let stand in a cool to moderate (about 70 degrees) draft-free place for 8 to 10 hours.
• The levain should have doubled in volume. The texture will be somewhat light, with many tiny bubbles throughout. Do not let the levain stand for longer than 10 hours, or the yeast will become exhausted and not raise the final dough. Learn more about the levain starter, including how to maintain and nourish the chef, in Dan Lieder's book "Bread Alone".

CRISPY COLORADO TROUT

Steps:

• Preparing Trout: After de-boning, finning, cleaning, and filleting fish, rinse and pat dry. Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish to make an egg wash. Dredge trout in seasoned flour shaking off excess. Dip into egg wash mixture, and then into panko crumbs, turning to coat both sides and patting lightly. Remove fillets and place separately onto platter. Use waxed paper to keep fish from touching. Preparing Aioli Sauce: Place all ingredients into blender except for olive oil, and puree. Add a little water to loosen, if needed. Once you have reached the puree stage, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. This will cause the ingredients to emulsify. Set aside. Cooking Trout: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a heavy saute pan, coat bottom with 1/8-inch of oil. Heat pan and oil to medium heat. Add fillet skin side up and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn fillet over and cook until golden brown on the other side. Remove from heat and place on paper towels in baking dish.
• Place fillets in preheated oven for 6 to 7 minutes. Arrange on plates and drizzle with sauce making thin ribbons across the fillets.
• Serve with Chevre Orzo.
• Cook orzo in salted boiling water to just under done. Drain and keep warm.
• Heat the cream, add remaining ingredients, and toss with the pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

SMOKED TROUT PâTé & PITTA CRISPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Halve the pittas and cut into wedges. Brush with 2 tbsp olive oil; sprinkle with salt and chopped dill. Cook for 10-12 mins until crisp.
• Flake the hot smoked trout fillets and mix with soured cream, chopped gherkins and chopped dill. Serve with the crisps.