Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Trout sufficient to feed your diners
- Prosciutto fat
- Rosemary
- Carrot
- Onion
- Day old bread
- Olive oil and unsalted butter
- Dry white wine
- ** For Trota alla Paesana **
- Parsley
- Onion
- Dry white wine
- Olive oil and unsalted butter
Preparation:
Clean the trout and fill the cavities with a stuffing made by mincing a few slices of prosciutto fat (substitute seasoned lard if need be), the leaves of a short sprig of rosemary, carrot, onion, and day-old bread that has been dipped in dry white wine (the carrot and onion should be about the same volume, say 1/4 the total volume of the stuffing, while the bread should be predominant).Heat equal volumes of sweet butter and olive oil in a griddle, and sauté a garlic clove until it is lightly browned in the fat, then discard it and sauté the fish, turning them with care, until they are done.
While they're cooking melt a few tablespoons of oil and sweet butter in a separate pot, and stir some white pepper and quarter cup or so of flour into the mixture; when it has browned lightly beat in a cup of dry white wine and continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
Serve the fish with the sauce, and a dry white wine.
Trote alla Paesana
Don't want to use meat? This recipe does not:
Take several trout and clean them. Pat them dry, and cook them in a few tablespoons of melted butter, being careful lest they stick to the bottom of the pot. While they're cooking mince a goodly amount of parsley and half a medium onion. Sprinkle the minced herbs over the fish, season well with salt and pepper, and when the fish is just about done (the eyes will be white, and the flesh along the spine will flake if pressed) sprinkle in a half a glass of dry white wine.
When the wine has evaporated serve the fish with the side dish of your choice, either potatoes, peas, or green beans sautéed in butter.
Variation: you can substitute the minced herbs and wine with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. In this case, serve the fish with boiled or steamed potatoes, sliced and seasoned with melted butter.
In either case you'll want a flavorful white, for example a robust Orvieto Classico, to accompany your fish.
