Speckled Trout

Fall Trout with Shiitake Mushrooms and Ginger

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb trout fillets
2 green onions, chopped
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; coat with nonstick spray. Put fish skin side down on prepared baking sheet.

Mix next 4 ingredients in bowl. Sprinkle mixture over fish, drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, then top with cilantro sprigs. Bake uncovered until fish is opaque in center, about 20 minutes.

Honey Fried Speckled Trout
Courtesy of the Charlotte Examiner

Ingredients:
1 lb speckled trout fillets
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons butter
1 lemon
½ cup cornmeal
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Mix cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper in bowl. Mix egg and milk in separate bowl. Rub speckled trout with lemon and dredge in cornmeal mixture. Dip fish in milk mixture and then back into cornmeal mixture. Heat butter to almost smoking in frying pan. Put speckled trout in pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. Put honey on top of trout then lower heat, cover, and cook for a few minutes.

Crispy Trout with Snow Pea Salad and Spiced Yogurt Dressing


Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

2 cups snow peas, very thinly sliced lengthwise
4 radishes (about 2 ounces) thinly sliced
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/8 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
skin-on trout fillets
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Combine snow peas and radishes in a large bowl. Whisk together yogurt, orange zest, lemon juice, cayenne, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 3 Tbsp. yogurt dressing to snow pea mixture and toss to coat evenly. Set aside remaining dressing for serving.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season trout with salt and pepper on both sides and place in skillet, skin side down. Cook until skin is crisp and fish is almost cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Turn fish and finish cooking, 1–2 minutes longer.

Divide salad between plates and sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds. Place a fish fillet next to each salad and serve with reserved dressing alongside.

Louisiana Speckled Trout Amandine

Adapted from Lüke Restaurant, New Orleans (John Besh, Chef/Owner)

Ingredients:

olive oil
trout fillets (speckled or gray)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup blanched and sliced almonds
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350° F.

To a cast iron or heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, add 1/2 inch olive oil.

Season trout fillets with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning. Dredge trout in flour and shake off excess. Then place trout in buttermilk, and again in flour; shake off excess. Place fish in pan with hot oil and cook on both sides until completely brown, about 5 minutes per side.

To another sauté pan over medium-high heat, add butter. When butter has completely melted and begins to brown slightly on the sides, add almonds, lemon juice, and parsley. Continue to move butter around in pan until almonds have browned, about 3-4 minutes. Season sauce with salt and remove from heat.

Place each trout fillet on a plate and spoon amandine sauce liberally over top.