Sauerkraut with Fish in Cream Sauce
Traditional recipes for this kind of choucroute (pictured at right) often call for filets of flaky pike perch; we found that trout works beautifully too.
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Credit: André Baranowski
1 1/4-lb. piece smoked bacon,
cut into 1/2" cubes
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp. finely chopped thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 pods star anise
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb. raw Sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups white wine, preferably dry riesling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
2 6–8-oz. boneless skin-on trout filets
1/4 cup flour, sifted
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Chervil leaves, for garnish (optional)
1. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tbsp. fat. Reduce heat to medium and add half the shallots along with the thyme, cumin, star anise, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sauerkraut, 1/2 cup wine, and 1/3 cup water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauerkraut softens and the flavors meld, about 25 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside; discard bay leaf and star anise. Keep warm.
2. Season trout filets with salt and pepper. Put flour on a plate and dredge trout in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add trout skin side down and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, 4–6 minutes. Transfer trout to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp. butter and remaining shallots. Cook until shallots are soft, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, pour in remaining wine, and cook until wine is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and stir in remaining butter. To serve, divide sauerkraut between 2 plates and top each with trout. Spoon sauce around fish and garnish with chervil.
SERVES 2
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