Cornmeal-Crusted Trout
This dish is Louisiana all the way. Crawfish are eaten in other states, to be sure, but no one is as passionate about these crustaceans as are Louisianans. And rightfully so; the state is responsible for producing more than 80 percent of the world’s crawfish! Crawfish look like tiny, clawless lobsters, and though they are not directly related, their taste is similar. The lobster stock in the rich, creamy sauce enhances that similarity. Sweet trout fillets get an old-fashioned cornmeal crust and are panfried to a light golden brown before being set down on a pool of the pink sauce.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Crawfish Sauce
Trout
Preparation
Step 1
To make the crawfish sauce, put the lobster stock and tomato paste in a small saucepan and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 6 minutes.
Step 2
Pour the cream into a medium saucepan and boil over medium heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, to make the trout, spread out the flour on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Place the eggs in a large shallow bowl. Add a few tablespoons of water, season with salt and pepper, and whisk until combined. Place the cornmeal on a large plate and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Add the reduced cream to the lobster stock and stir to combine. Add the crawfish tails and watercress leaves, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just to heat through. Keep warm.
Step 5
Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper. Dredge one side of each fillet in the flour and tap off any excess, then dip that side in the egg mixture and let any extra drip off. Finally dredge the same side in the cornmeal and tap off any excess.
Step 6
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Place 2 of the fillets in the pan, cornmeal side down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 2 fillets, butter, and oil.
Step 7
Ladle some of the sauce onto large plates or shallow bowls and top with the trout. Garnish with watercress leaves.
