Roast Trout with Lentils and Verjus

By Heritage330

Verjus is a tart juice made from unripe grapes. Find it at specialty foods stores and online.

Ingredients

• Lentils
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup black beluga lentils or French green lentils
• 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp. sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Verjus Beurre Blanc
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 1 whole star anise pod
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 cup white verjus
• 1/2 dry white wine
• 1/2 chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Trout and Assembly
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 6-oz. skin-on steelhead trout or salmon fillets
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Lentils

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5–8 minutes. Mix in lentils and add broth to cover by 1”. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer, adding more broth as needed to keep lentils covered, until lentils are tender, 20–30 minutes. Mix in vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside; keep warm.

DO AHEAD: Lentils can be cooked 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

Verjus Beurre Blanc

Bring shallot, garlic, star anise, bay leaf, peppercorns, verjus, and wine to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced to ¼ cup, 15–20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan; discard solids.

Place saucepan over low heat and gradually whisk in butter, until butter is melted and sauce is emulsified. Whisk in tarragon and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside; keep warm.

Trout and Assmbley

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place fish, skin side down, in pan and cook, undisturbed, until skin is crisp and releases from pan, about 4 minutes. Turn fish, add butter to pan, and cook, tilting pan and spooning butter over fish, until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes longer.

Stir parsley into verjus beurre blanc just before serving. Serve fish with lentils and sauce.