Crispy Rainbow Trout with Butter Rum Sauce

Crispy Rainbow Trout with Butter Rum Sauce

Serves 2 as a large dinner course

Start thinking about this recipe even before you head out with your fly rod… it just might up your odds! The Butter Rum Sauce is gently scented with garlic, thyme and dark rum. Then the sauce is emulsified and given a fresh pop of tarragon and chives.  It is simple and it is pure heaven!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon plus 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed but still whole
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme 
• 1/8 cup heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoon chopped chives divided. 1 tablespoon for the Butter Rum Sauce, and 1 tablespoon for garnish 
• 1 teaspoon Dark Rum such as Myers
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon 
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 rainbow trout fillets, butterflied and backbone removed 
• 4 tablespoons Flour whisked with salt and pepper
• 2 small slices of lemon for garnish and squeezing
• Corn oil, for coating pans

1. Make your sauce first. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and cook them briefly until lightly browned. Add the cream, bring it to a boil and reduce quickly by half. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter gradually, one at a time, whisking until incorporated. When the sauce is smooth and thick, discard the whole garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. Add the chives, rum, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep gently warm.
2. Warm your plates in the oven or in a sink of hot water.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of the fish in the seasoned flour and brush off the excess flour with your hand. When the pan is hot, add enough corn oil to very thinly coat the bottom of the pan and add a fillet, skin-side down. Cook until the skins turn golden brown and opaque doneness creeps into the pink flesh of the fish. You want to cook nearly all the way through on the skin side. Flip the fish and quickly brown the flesh side taking care to not overcook.
4. Pour a small pool of sauce onto each warm plate, spread with the back of a spoon, top sauced plate with a trout fillet, skin side pointing up. Drizzle the fish with a little more sauce; garnish with lemon and chopped chives.