Grilled trout is lacquered in a glaze that is fragrant with fennel and thyme in this adaptation of a recipe from the Grey Plume in Omaha. Ariana Lindquist
Grilled trout is lacquered in a glaze that is fragrant with fennel and thyme in this adaptation of a recipe from the Grey Plume in Omaha. This recipe first appeared in our August/September 2013 Heartland issue with the story Here’s the Beef.
Glazed Trout with Carrot Purée and Spätzle
Lacquered with fragrant fennel-thyme glaze, this whole fish is perfumed with lemon zest, grilled and rested on a bed of creamy carrot purée and tender pasta.
Yield: serves 2-4
For the Grilled Trout and Glaze
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1⁄2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 lemon, zested and quartered, plus the zest of 2 lemons
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 (1-lb.) whole trout, cleaned and scaled
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Carrot Purée and Spätzel
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 1⁄4 cups carrot juice
- 1 1⁄2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 cups flour
- 1⁄2 cup crème fraîche
- 1⁄2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
- 1 1⁄4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 3 eggs
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- 2 oz. baby spinach
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the glaze: Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add fennel and onion; cook until soft, 10–12 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, and quartered lemon; cook until tomatoes are broken down, 8–10 minutes. Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain liquid, discarding vegetables, and return to saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half again, 15–20 minutes. Remove glaze from heat; stir in 2 tbsp. butter, plus the zest from one lemon, salt, and pepper.
- Make the purée: Boil 2 tbsp. butter with carrot juice, vinegar, carrots, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes; purée until smooth in a blender. Keep both glaze and purée warm.
- Make the spätzle: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Whisk flour, crème fraîche, milk, thyme, mustard, eggs, and half the zest with salt and pepper in a bowl into a smooth batter. Place a colander with large holes over the boiling water and working in batches, use a rubber spatula to press batter through holes into water. Cook until spätzle float, 2–3 minutes. Transfer spätzle to a colander. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add spätzle, salt, and pepper; cook until golden, 8-10 minutes. Stir in spinach, remaining zest, and the juice.
- Grill the trout: Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Brush trout with oil and season inside of each with the zest of one lemon, salt, and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until slightly charred and cooked, 15–18 minutes.
- To serve, spread carrot purée on the bottom of 2 plates, top each plate with spätzle and a trout; brush trout generously with glaze.