We’re getting close to the time of year when eating local and seasonal gets easier – and a lot more fun. Pretty soon the farm stands will be overflowing, and we won’t buy grocery store produce again until the frost returns in October.
Asparagus is the first native crop to appear in Connecticut in spring, and it’s at its peak right now. These purple-tipped beauties were harvested just hours before we nabbed them at a local farm.
Asparagus season is also trout season, and the two are a perfect pairing: the grassy, slightly bitter flavor and tenderly fibrous texture of the asparagus contrasting with the sweet flaky fish, both simply prepared to let their freshness shine through, with just a squeeze of lemon for an accent.
John’s been doing a lot of fishing while the stay-at-home orders have been in effect, and the other day he brought home this spectacular rainbow trout. At 19 inches from nose to tail, the fish was almost as big as his grin as he posed with his prize.
If you don’t have a trout fisherman handy, look for trout at a fish market or the fish counter at a well-stocked grocery store. (The big chain grocery store in our suburban town had it this week, pandemic shortages not withstanding.) If you can’t find it, or prefer other types of fish, this preparation works well for any kind of thin-but-not-too-delicate fillets such as arctic char, tilapia, catfish, mahi mahi or barramundi (aka branzino).
I was lucky to have this local, seasonal bounty, though – you can’t get fish any fresher than this. I love that gorgeous deep magenta stripe in the glistening skin.
I butterflied the trout and cut it into two fillets, which I soaked for about an hour in a mixture of buttermilk and sambal oelek (chili paste).
I use cracker meal for coating fish for pan-frying. I think it’s superior to flour (too gummy), cornmeal (too gritty), and breadcrumbs (too heavy). Cracker meal makes a thin, light, and crispy coating that doesn’t overwhelm the fish. If you can’t find cracker meal, the next best alternative is a superfine flour, such as Wondra, mixed with about a tablespoon of cornmeal for crunch.
A few more notes on the preparation:
- Trout vary greatly in size. The recipe is written for two 8-ounce pieces of fish (either two whole smaller fish, or one larger one cut into two fillets) – but whatever you bring home from the stream is what you must deal with. Adjust the cooking time accordingly – smaller fish will cook faster. The monster I cooked up for this post yielded two fillets that each weighed almost 10 ounces, which is unusually large. I didn’t want to over-brown it in the pan, so as soon as it was golden and crispy on the outside, I transferred it to a foil-lined baking sheet, flesh side up, and gave it 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven to make sure it was done all the way through.
- Asparagus spears also vary in size, and bunches from local farm stands often have a mixture of thick and thin. Thicker spears will take longer to cook, so I withhold the thin ones for the first 5 minutes of roasting and then add them so they cook for less time but finish at the same time as the others.
Don’t make this ahead and don’t plan to keep leftovers – it must be enjoyed when it’s hot and crispy out of the pan.
To see this dish combined with other recipes in a springtime menu, read the post for Saturday May 16, 2020.
Pan-Fried Trout with Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek chili paste
- 2 whole trout, boned and butterflied, or 2 large trout fillets (8 ounces each)
- 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Neutral oil (such as expeller pressed canola oil)
- ½ cup cracker meal (or a scant ½ cup superfine flour such as Wondra plus 1 tablespoon cornmeal)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
- Step 1 Whisk together the buttermilk and sambal oelek in a shallow, flat dish that’s large enough to hold the trout in a single layer. Lay the trout in the marinade, flesh side down. Transfer the dish to the refrigerator and marinate the fish for 60 minutes.
- Step 2 Wash and dry the asparagus and spread it out on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle over a generous pinch of kosher salt. Toss the asparagus with your hands to coat it evenly with the oil and salt. Heat the oven to 400 degrees on the Roast setting.
- Step 3 After the trout has finished marinating, heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then add neutral oil to a depth of ¼-inch and heat the oil for a couple of minutes until it’s very hot.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, put the asparagus in the oven. Roast the asparagus, tossing once with tongs about half way through, until the spears are just tender and starting to char. (The roasting time will vary depending on the thickness of the spears, but the average time for medium-thick spears is 10 minutes.)
- Step 5 Spread the cracker meal out in a thin later on a plate. Lift one piece of the fish from the marinade and flip it flesh side up. Season the flesh side with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Lay the trout in the cracker meal and turn it to coat both sides evenly. Place the trout in the skillet, flesh side down. Repeat with the other piece of fish.
- Step 6 Cook the fish without moving or turning it until the bottom side is browned and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently and carefully turn the fish and cook the skin side just until the fish is cooked through – from 1 to 3 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the fish. To test for doneness, stick the tines of a fork straight down into the thickest part of the fish, and if it slides in with no resistance the fish is done.
- Step 7 Transfer the fish to 2 plates. Arrange the asparagus alongside and add a lemon wedge to each plate for garnish.
