Brown Butter Trout with Creamy Corn Sauté

This dish was a total surprise. Lately my cooking has been centered around recipes that take forever and are a bit on the heavy side (hello fresh pasta - I love you but you’re not the easiest). So, the fact this came together in about 30-40 minutes and was super light was really just the cherry on top of a truly delicious dish.The flavors are both bright and savory, light and really satisfying. I would willingly add brown butter to just about everything but here it really makes the corn pop and adds a sweetness and nuttiness to the fish that is super tasty. There's only a liiitttle bit of cream added, but it really takes the corn to the next level and makes all the flavors melt together. The dish also has a lot of really nice textural elements (crispy skin for the win!). Great weeknight meal! Also, don’t skip flouring the fish - it makes the skin crispier, and prevents it from sticking to the pan. This dish was inspired by Alison Roman’s Dining In, where she has a recipe featuring scallops with corn, hazelnuts and a brown butter chermoula. Everyone should get that cookbook, its fabulous!

Brown Butter Trout with Creamy Corn Sauté

Serves 2:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb trout fillets
• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups fresh corn ( about 3 ears)
• 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp cream
• Handful of cilantro
• Handful of basil

 Method:

1. In a sauté pan, add 2 tbsp of butter on medium heat. After the butter melts, it will start to foam. At this point, start to swirl it around a bit so the milk solids don't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. You'll see lightly browned specks starting to form at the bottom of the pan, and the butter should start to have a nutty aroma. At this point, the butter should a light golden brown- add your shallot and garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté until they’ve started to soften.
2. When the shallot has started to turn translucent, add the bell pepper and sauté for a minute or two until it has softened slightly but still has some crunch. Add your corn, the cream, and another good pinch of salt and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is bright yellow and has softened slightly. Taste for salt and pepper, and add more if needed. Tear up your basil and cilantro (or rough chop it) and fold it into your dish.
3. In a wide shallow bowl, add your flour with ½ tsp salt and a good crack of black pepper. Stir to combine, and then place each filet of fish in the flour so that it is lightly dusted all over. Shake slightly to remove any excess flour, and place each filet on a plate.
4. In a nonstick pan, add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter on medium-high heat. Swirl around the butter around the pan like before until it starts to foam and then turns a light golden brown. When you have your brown butter, place each filet of fish in the pan, skin-side down. Cook until the skin has a nice sear and is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. You’ll notice that as the fish cooks, its meat starts to change color and becomes lighter where it is cooked through. Carefully flip the fish and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the fish is firm and has completely changed color.
5. Plate the fish on top of your corn, add a few more pieces of cilantro and basil with a good drizzle of nice olive oil, and enjoy!