Trout Grenobloise

Pan Fried with Lemon, Capers, and Parsley, over Rye Toast

My sister did part of her undergraduate studies in France, and brought me back a French Regional Cooking book. In flipping through the book I was drawn to the origins of this recipe as the town she was studying in was Grenoble. The way the flavors of the trout and the rye toast and the lemons and capers all intersect is truly amazing. And the fact that it's so easy to make is even more amazing.

This is another good $5 Dinner Club meal, providing more than 6 people sign up (so you can afford the trout plus all the other ingredients).

For 4

Ingredients

4 fillets of freshwater trout (approximately 2 #)
4 slices of rye bread
6 lemons (the juice from)
2 T capers
Butter
3 T fresh parsley (chopped up)
Salt/pepper/flour mixture

Directions

Cut the trout fillets in halves and rinse under cold water.

Dredge the trout in the salt/pepper/flour mixture, and shake off the excess flour.

Pre-heat the oven to 300°.

Heat 2 - 3 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the fish in the pan, and cook for approximately 3 minutes on the first side, flip, and an additionally 2 minutes on the second side. You'll know it's done when a sharp knife goes easily in and out of the fish when poked. Depending on the size of your frying pan, you may have to repeat to cook all of the trout (and add some more butter to the pan each time, so as not to burn the trout). Take the trout out of the pan, and put in oven to stay warm.

In the pan you just used to cook the fish, don't clean it, but add a few pats of butter, and toast the rye bread, which you've cut in halves. Sort of like doing French toast - quickly brown it on both sides in the butter. When that's done, set it in with the trout to stay warm. Again, you may have to repeat to toast all the bread.

Now, same pan, not cleaned, add 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of capers, the lemon juice, and the chopped parsley, and bring to a simmer, stirring, until it starts to thicken a little. Reduce your heat, and plate your meal.

On each plate, take the rye toast halves and place them round sides back to back. Lay two pieces of trout on top of the toast, and once you have all the plates done, take your sauce and spoon it over the trout. Garnish the plate with a sprig of fresh parsley nestled on top of the fish.

Enjoy!