Trout, a fresh water fish with a mild taste and flaky interior, is quite abundant during spring and summer and this recipe for Crispy Trout with Spring Orzo is easy to put together, and tastes fresh and vibrant like the season.
Trout is relatively inexpensive and you can buy either a whole trout, and using a good knife, slice it into two fillets, or purchase them individually. Crispy trout is another one of my favorite things. I remember going camping in Yosemite as a kid with my family, and my Uncle J would catch fish from the river, and fry them over an open flame in the middle of our campsite, now that was some fresh fish. Those flavors and food memories have stayed with me for many years, that’s probably why I love this fish so much.
Sprinkling trout with a dusting of semolina, cornmeal or flour is a necessity for an superb crust and a little squeeze of lemon to finish the fish is all you need for a citrusy taste. Spring orzo is a simple preparation of pasta, with fresh peas, lemon and parmesan. It only take 8-minutes for an extraordinary side dish and boy, does it pair nicely with trout. Also, I like to pile a little mixed greens under the trout before plating, because you can never have enough fresh greens during springtime.
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Ingredients
2-4 trout fillets, skin on
2 tablespoons semolina, or cornmeal
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cups mixed greens
Orzo
1 cup dried orzo pasta
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 small white onion, diced
2 tablespoon butter, divided
1 lemon + more for garnish
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
vegetable oil
(Serves 2-4)
To Prepare:
1. Pat dry trout and place on a plate. In a small bowl, combine semolina, thyme, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, stir. Sprinkle trout with semolina mixture on both sides.
2. In a saucepan, boil orzo for 6 minutes. Add peas and continue boiling for 3 minutes, drain through strainer.
3. In the same saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and diced onion. Saute onion for 3 minutes, and add orzo and peas, stir. Zest lemon and slice in half, add zest and juice to orzo mixture, along with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add parmesan and stir to combine. Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, stir. Turn heat off and cover with lid, until fish is ready.
4. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a saute pan and place over medium heat. After 3 minutes, add trout, flesh side down. Cook trout for 3 minutes, or until lightly crispy, flip over. Turn heat to low and cook trout another 3-4 minutes, or until crispy skin. To plate – take a handful of mixed greens and place on plate, layer with a piece of crispy trout and spoon a dollop of orzo on side. Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze over fish and orzo. Enjoy!
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