Chef Recipe: Brook Trout with a Taste of Autumn

Our farm shares from Golden Earthworm Organic Farm in Aquebogue have provided us with a bounty of organic vegetables this year, including gorgeous yams that remind us that it is autumn. I love fish, provided it is properly cooked, and I love brook trout because of its mild delicate flavor.

At , brook trout is one of our fall menu offerings. The yams add a slight sweetness to the dish along with the basil pea coulis, and the bacon gives just a touch of saltiness. As a chef I enjoy creating dishes that are visually appealing with lots of taste, and the orange, green and white colors give a seasonal touch. Brook trout should be filleted keeping the skin on, and this is true with most fish as the skin adds flavor when the fish is cooked. Of course the trout can be served with other vegetables such as potatoes and carrots, but the fish is best prepared simply, seared quickly on both sides. Enjoy!

The Dish: Brook Trout with Basil Pea Coulis Mirabelle

• 2 shallots
• 1 garlic clove
• parsley, thyme, bay leaf to taste
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 yam
• ½ cup bacon lardoon (1/4 inch cubes of slab bacon)
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 pound frozen sweet peas
• 2 brook trout, cut into 6 fillets
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 ounce trout caviar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a small ovenproof pot, combine the shallots, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring the bouillon to a boil. During this time cut the yam into rounds at least 1 inch thick. Make the rounds uniform by trimming them with a large round cookie cutter. Plunge the yams in the bouillon and put the pot, covered, in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the yams are tender. Drain the yams and reserve them, discarding the remains of the bouillon.

Put the lardoons in a small pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, cook for l minute, drain the pot, and reserve the lardoons.

Fill a medium pot with water, add salt, and bring the water to a boil. Arrange a bowl with ice water on a counter nearby. Plunge the basil in the boiling water for 30 seconds and then, using a large slotted spoon, immediately plunge it into the ice water. Remove the basil from the ice water after several seconds and reserve it. Repeat the same process with the peas, but cook the peas for 1 minute. Transfer the basil and peas to a blender, blend the mixture to a smooth puree, and add salt and pepper to taste and a little water if needed. Force the coulis through a fine china cap, or sieve, into a bowl and reserve it.

Put 2 of the reserved yam rounds and 12 of the reserved lardoons on a greased ovenproof skillet or baking pan and reheat them in a preheated 350-degree oven until they are hot. (Keep remaining yam for another use.)  In a small saucepan heat a cup of the reserved pea coulis until it is heated through and hot.

Season the trout fillets with salt and pepper on both sides and in a non-stick skillet sauté them skin side down in the vegetable oil over moderately high heat for about 3 minutes. Flip the fillets and finish cooking them on the skin side up for another 3 minutes, or until they are cooked and are white. Place each yam round in the center of a large pasta dish or soup plate and pour the coulis around it. Mount three trout fillet pieces on top of each yam. Place the lardoons around the perimeter of the coulis and top each dish with a dollop of the caviar. Serves 2.