Sauteed Trout With Hazelnuts Recipe

#In this quick recipe, trout are lightly dusted with seasoned flour, then pan-fried in butter and topped with a mixture of sauteed, toasted hazelnuts and chopped parsley. The crunchy topping makes a delicious contrast with the soft textured flesh of the trout, and thin slices of lemon add a fresh accent to the dish. The subtle nutty flavour of a rice pilaf would marry well with the hazelnuts.# Prepare the Trout: Cut the fins from the trout with the scissors, and trim the tails to a “V”. Rinse the fish inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. “Trimming makes fish more attractive to serve whole.” “Snip off fins with scissors” #Prepare the Garnish# Heat the oven to 180° C (350° F, Gas 4). Spread the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and toast them until browned, 8-10 minutes. While still hot, rub the hazelnuts in a tea towel to remove the skins. Let cool. “Skins rub off easily from warm hazelnuts” “Hazelnuts will add texture to trout”

Using the chefs knife, chop the toasted hazelnuts coarsely.

Strip the parsley leaves from the stalks and pile them on the chopping board. With the chefs knife, chop the leaves coarsely.

Trim the ends from 1 of the lemons, then halve the lemon lengthwise and cut it into thin semi-circles, leaving the skin intact.

Peel the second lemon . Turn the lemon on its side and cut it into thin rounds. Remove any pips. #Cook the Trout; Finish The Dish# Put the flour on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Coat each trout with the seasoned flour, patting with your hands so each fish is evenly coated.

Heat half of the butter in the fish pan until it is foaming. Add 2 of the prepared fish to the pan and brown them over medium heat, 2-3 minutes.

Using the palette knife, turn the trout over and continue cooking over low heat. “Turn fish carefully to avoid breaking crisp skin”

When ready, the trout will be browned and the flesh will flake easily when tested with a fork, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the fish to a warmed platter and cover with foil to keep warm. “When testing if the fish are done, first make a small cut near the head where the flesh is thickest”

Cook the remaining 2 trout, using the rest of the butter. Add the fish to the 2 on the platter, and cover them again with foil.

Add the hazelnuts to the fish pan and sauté over medium heat until they are golden brown, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes.

Add three-quarters of the parsley to the pan and stir to mix it with the nuts and browned butter. “Butter should be golden brown so it increases nutty flavour” “Parsley and hazelnut garnish enhances flavour of freshly caught trout” #TO SERVE# Transfer the fish to warmed individual plates, and spoon the hazelnut and parsley mixture over the trout. Decorate with the lemon semi-circles and rounds. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley. “Rice pilaf is a good contrast to butter sauce on trout”