Name: Butter-Fried Trout with Crispy Skin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 1 pc trout; 20 g butter; 0.25 pcs lemon; plain flour; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 0.125 teaspoon black pepper; 1 sprig parsley; 200 g potatoes; 0.25 teaspoon salt; 5 g butter; 0.5 l water; lemon; parsley

Step by step process

Preparing the Trout

1
Rinse the trout under cold water and pat thoroughly dry with a kitchen towel, both on the outside and inside the cavity.
2
Season the fish with salt and pepper on all sides and inside. Slice the lemons into thin rounds and place two slices inside the cavity of each trout along with a sprig of parsley.
3
Spread plain flour on a flat plate and lightly coat each trout on all sides. Shake off any excess flour, you want only a thin dusting to ensure crispiness.
TIP:
Pour flour onto a plate and lightly coat the pieces on all sides. Shake off excess flour, the goal is a delicate dust without a thick crust. Works on chicken, vegetables, or halloumi too.

Pan-Frying

4
In a large skillet, melt half the butter (40 g) over medium heat until it foams and the sizzling subsides.
TIP:
Butter on medium heat will stop sizzling once the water has evaporated, this is your sign that the temperature is ideal for cooking. Your meat will stay perfectly juicy, neither wet nor burnt.
5
Add two trout and fry for 5-6 minutes on each side until the skin is beautifully golden and the flesh separates easily from the backbone. Transfer the cooked fish to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil.
6
Add the remaining butter to the same pan and repeat the process with the remaining two trout.

Boiled Potatoes

7
Peel the potatoes, halve any larger ones, and place in a pot of cold salted water.
8
Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain, add butter, and toss gently.

Serving

9
Place each trout on a plate, add boiled potatoes alongside, and garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of fresh parsley. Serve immediately while the trout skin is still crispy.

More tips:

The key to crispy skin is a thoroughly dried trout, a wet fish will steam in the pan instead of frying.

For a more intense nutty flavour, let the butter in the pan lightly brown after frying the last batch of trout and drizzle it over the finished fish as a beurre noisette.

Simple Recipes Recipes Under 30 Minutes