Trout Grenobloise

Grenobloise is a classic French sauce, composed of capers, brown butter or "beurre noisette" and lemon. This recipe is for a classic dish – La Truite Grenobloise, or trout with sauce Grenobloise. I prefer to cook fish filets, generally, with the skin on. The skin, if properly cooked, will remain crispy while the flesh of the fish is soft and delicate. To get crispy skin, two things are important. One is to remove all excess water, and the other is to leave your fish filet cooking on the skin side until the skin is set and well caramelized.


Yield: Makes 2 to 4 servings


 Ingredients

2 12-ounce trout, butterflied

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

½ lemon, segmented, diced 1/8" (brunoise

2 teaspoons salted capers, rinsed

1 1/2 TB minced parsley


Preparation

1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; stir with a fork to combine. Season butterflied trout lightly with more salt and pepper. Pat both sides of the trout in flour, shaking gently to remove excess flour.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add trout to skillet, skin-side up. Cook until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Turn and continue cooking, 3 to 4 minutes more.

3. Remove trout to a warmed serving platter. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter to pan and return to low heat to cook until butter is browned – not black. You can tell if the butter is at the brown butter or "noisette" stage when it gives off a pleasant, nutty aroma. If it smells of raw flour, it is not yet at the noisette stage; if it smells burnt, toss it – you’ve got Beurre noire. Remove pan from heat and add lemon segment brunoise and juice. Return to low heat, stir in capers and parsley. Plate fish.  Pour sauce over trout and serve immediately.

Wine:  Serve with a nice Riesling