Peggy Lampman's Friday dinnerFeed: Crispy corn trout
Though fried, the skin protects the flesh from absorbing most of the oil, and information I've read says the majority of contaminants are in the skin. So remove it, already! I love frying it with the skin on--the flavor of the flesh is superb. Fish particularly plentiful in omega-3s are the oily varieties which includes salmon, herring, sardines and trout. I'm convinced the benefits of including trout in meal planning far exceeds the risks.
Quality trout is easy to recognize. Fresh trout never smells fishy, it smells fresh. The eyes should appear bright and clear, almost alive. The gills should be reddish, and the skin covered with clear, slippery slime. Very fresh trout should be so slippery they are difficult to hold. Fresh trout flesh will give slightly when you press it with a finger, then spring back into shape.To store trout, remove packaging, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Fish deteriorates when it sits in its own juices, so rewrap the trout and store in the coolest section of your refrigerator.
I purchased this trout gutted, with the head removed. It is easier to fit in my sauté pan. I still have sage rampantly growing in the garden but stuffing this with fresh thyme and thinly sliced onion is delicious too. To appease my husband I fried the trout in healthy grape seed oil but would personally have loved frying it in bacon fat. I served the trout with purple barley and fresh kale braised in apple cider.
P.S. Don't forget the lemon! I mistakenly thought I had one and it was sorely missed squeezed over the trout.
Yield: 4 servings Cost: $ apx. 12.00( using ad item trout) Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Four 10-12 ounce whole trout, boned 8 sprigs fresh sage 1/2 cup ground cornmeal or all-purpose flour 1/2 cup grape seed oil 1 lemon cut into 8 wedges
Directions
1. Rinse the trout and pat dry. Lightly season the inside cavity with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 2. Place 2 sage leaves in the cavity of each fish. Close the cavity by threading a wooden skewer or toothpick through the flaps; dredge both sides in cornmeal. 3. Heat two large skillets over medium high heat and divide the oil between them. When the fat shimmers add the fish and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip the fish with a large flat spatula. Continue to cook the fish on the other side until just cooked though and golden, about 4 minutes. 4. Transfer the fish to a platter and serve immediately with the lemon wedges.
Comments
Peggy Lampman
Fri, Oct 30, 2009 : 10:55 a.m.
Laura--I am still harvesting loads of kale in my backyard! This is the first time I've grown back-yard kale and not only is it easy to grow and looks really picturesque, I've been enjoying eating the greens since early July! That's 4 months of healthy veggies from 6 baby farmer's market plants purchased in April! Thanks for the comment. Peggy
Laura Bien
Fri, Oct 30, 2009 : 9:06 a.m.
Aha, I thought that was kale, in the photo. Yum. This looks absolutely delicious.