CookTeaser

Serves 2

A CookTale

Our good friend Jean-Michel Gal is a dedicated catch and release fly fisherman. Usually! Upon request he acquiesced to delivering us a trout. I’m sure he turned his eyes away when he did what he had to do! The Brown Trout was a beauty. Eyes bright, skin as moist and slippery as the moment it took the fly. I halved it, filleted it, and removed each and every pinbone. It was completely boneless (though pinboning was not a necessary step), and it made eating that much more pleasurable.

INGREDIENTS

1 TB of Canola Oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan)
2 6-ounce skin-on Trout fillets (1 Trout)
Fine Sea Salt
Freshly ground White Pepper (black is fine too)
Wondra flour for dusting
2 TB of Butter + 2 TB for the sauce
2 TB of Capers ( drained & washed)
1 tsp of Lime Juice

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the Oil in a large, oven-proof sauté pan until the Oil is very hot, but not smoking.
2. Season the Trout on both sides with Salt and Pepper and dust with Wondra flour. Blow off excess.
3. Put the Trout in the saute pan, skin side down, & press down on the fish with a spatula (important). The skin immediately contracts and buckles, but you want to keep it all in contact with the pan for maximum crisping. Sear until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 400F. Turn the Trout over, put the pan in the oven, & cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until a metal skewer can be easily inserted into the center of the fillet if left for 5 seconds & it feels just warm when touched to your lip.
5. Remove the fillets to a warm plate, & return the pan to the cooktop. Reheat to medium high.
6. Add the additional 2 TB of Buttter, Swirl it in the pan & add the Capers & the Lime Juice. Cook for another minute or so.
7. Plate the Trout & spoon the Butter Caper sauce on & around.