So here’s a story…There’s this amazing restaurant in Milwaukee called Braise that I love, they just so happen to have an RSA (Restaurant Supported Agriculture) where they work with local farmers and then instead of getting a box that you don’t know what to do with every month, you can pick from their online store the items you want weekly…and if you’re in their delivery range, they deliver it to your door! So not only do you get to pick what you want and the frequency, they deliver it! It’s like having access to a Farmers Market all year round! OK so clearly I love this place…this week I saw they had added Trout as being available, so I ordered two for Nick and I and when it came, it was packaged very nicely on a pile of ice…but the trout came WITH THEIR HEADS ON! EEEEK! So I looked up how to take the heads off, and somewhere in my search read that heads and bones could be used for stock. After feeling very triumphant for actually taking the heads off and de-boning them, I decided to just go for it and make homemade fish stock…and WOW, what great flavor! So here is the recipe for Spiced Trout (I just served it with Brown Rice and Asparagus spears) and Fish Stock. (Note, this Fish Stock was used to make the best White Fish Chowder I have ever had which I will post next, Nick said it was better than the chowder we’d had in Maine!)
Ingredients
- For the Spiced Trout:
- 2 Trout heads on
- 2 Tbs Flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp Hungarian Paprika
- 1 Tbs Butter
- 1/4 of a lemon
- For the Fish Stock:
- Heads and bones of 2 trout
- 1/2 large onion roughly chopped (you can leave the skin on)
- 3 large carrots I used 10 baby carrots cut in half each
- 1 to mato roughly chopped
- 1 Tbs Butter
- 1/2 Cup White Cooking Wine
- 1 Parsnip cut into slices
- 3 garlic cloves cut in half with skins on
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon each thyme parsley, salt, pepper
- 7 cups water
Instructions
- To cut the heads off the trout, follow the curved line around the heads with a very sharp knife. De-bone and set the excess parts aside if making a fish stock. Wash each side/fillet and pat dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl mix all the dry ingredients, and pat a good amount onto each fillet side without the skin (I had 4 fillets for the two trout). In a nonstick skillet add half the butter and melt, when it has melted add the fillets skin side down and turn heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the remaining butter and flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes. When I flipped mine the skin was easily removable, which i did.
- I served with brown rice and asparagus, and right before serving drizzled the juice of a lemon wedge over the 4 fillets.
For the Fish Stock:
- Melt the butter and add the onions and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes, they will turn translucent, but don't let them brown, add the other vegetables and sweat the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, then add the fish heads and bones, and let sit for 1 minute, then add all the seasonings, stir, and then add the white wine. Allow the white wine to reduce a little (about 5 minutes) and then add the water, turn the heat to low-medium and just let cook for 2 hrs. After two hours, take off heat, and strain through a colander that is lined with cheese cloth into two containers. Disguard all the remnants, and voila, you're done. Put the containers in the refrigerator immediately (even though they'll be warm still.) Use within 4 days, or freeze for 2 months. Mine made about 6 cups of stock.
Look at the beautiful stock cooking away
The finished Fish Stock!
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