Trout with Morels
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
458 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Trout with Morels
Description
This recipe features whole or beheaded trout salted and coated with fine cornmeal before frying in rendered bacon fat until crisp and cooked through. The use of bacon not only contributes saltiness and fat but also serves as a cooking medium, imparting a smoky aroma to the fish. The frying process is carefully controlled to maintain a happy sizzle sound, ensuring proper frying temperature and texture.
After frying the trout, onions are sautéed in the same pan until soft and starting to brown, followed by a mix of morel and shiitake mushrooms. The mushroom mixture is cooked until it releases its moisture, concentrating flavors. Peas, parsley, thyme, and lemon juice finish the dish, adding fresh and herbal notes that lighten the richness.
This dish showcases the texture contrast of crispy fried trout skin with tender mushrooms and vegetables. It can be served as a main course balanced by the smoky and earthy layers, ideal for diners who appreciate mushroom-forward preparations paired with delicately cooked fish.
Ingredients
- 4 lices Bacon ideally thick cut
- 1 onion medium, sliced root to tip
- 4 trout guts and gills removed, small, whole or beheaded
- salt
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal fine, or flour
- 1/2 pound morel mushrooms
- 1/2 pound shiitake mushroom or other mushrooms
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme dried or fresh
- lemon juice of a
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, ideally cast iron, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until crispy. Remove and cut into batons and set aside. Turn the oven to "warm" and set a wire rack over a baking sheet inside; this is to keep the trout warm.
- While the bacon is cooking, salt the trout inside and out. When the bacon is done, coat the fish in fine cornmeal. Turn the heat in the pan to medium-high. When it's good and hot, fry the trout in batches until they are crispy and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. You will likely need to lower the heat on the fish at some point -- the key is to listen: The frying trout should sound just like the bacon. A happy sizzle. When they're done, carefully move the trout to the rack in the oven. I do this with two spatulas.
- Put the onions in the frying pan and saute for a few minutes, until they soften and begin to brown a little. Add the mushrooms and toss to combine. Saute until they begin to give up their water, about 3 minutes, and then jack the heat up to high. Let everything sit for a minute to get a bit of a crust, then toss to combine.
- Add the peas, the bacon batons, parsley and thyme and toss to combine. Cook just until the peas are warm, about a minute. Serve all this as a bed for the trout and squeeze some lemon over everything right as you serve.
Notes
- Use fine cornmeal labeled for fish frying, often found in the Cajun or fish fry section of supermarkets.
- Maintain a steady frying temperature to achieve a crisp, golden crust on the trout.
- Keep fried trout warm on a wire rack in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 458 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 458kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 59g | 20% |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 24mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 262mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 797mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 375IU | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 43mg | 4% |
| Iron | 10mg | 56% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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