Glazed Trout with Carrot Purée and Spätzle

Name: Glazed Trout with Carrot Purée and Spätzle
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 2-4
Ingredients: 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; 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

Serves
serves 2-4

ARIANA LINDQUIST

Ingredients

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

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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.

Ingredients

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

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Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.