Trout with Herb Butter Sauce
Trout fillets poached in court bouillon and served with a beurre blanc style herb butter sauce of chives, parsley, tarragon, and lemon.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsPoached trout is one of those quiet, elegant dinners that feels like something out of a French bistro but comes together in under an hour. The poaching liquid, called court bouillon, is a simple vegetable-and-herb broth simmered with wine. Once it is done, a few spoons get repurposed into a silky herb butter sauce that dresses the fish.
The court bouillon does two jobs. It gently cooks the delicate trout fillets at a temperature low enough that they never toughen, and it leaves behind an aromatic reduction base for the sauce. Nothing gets wasted.
The herb butter is essentially a beurre blanc. The butter must soften and emulsify, never fully melt, or the sauce breaks into an oily slick. Low heat and patient whisking is everything. Fresh tarragon, chives, and parsley go in at the end so their color and flavor stay bright.
Chef Tips
- Keep the poaching liquid at a bare shiver, never a boil. Rolling poach toughens fish fillets fast.
- Pull the trout the moment it flakes at the thickest point. Residual heat finishes the job.
- Have the butter cut into small cubes and cold before whisking in. Warm butter melts too fast to emulsify.
- Freeze leftover court bouillon for the next fish dinner. It keeps beautifully.
Variations
- Swap trout for salmon fillets. Add a minute or two to the poach.
- Finish with capers in place of lemon juice for briny bite.
- Stir a spoonful of crème fraîche into the finished sauce for extra richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel the carrot and cut into thin slices.
Cut celery and onion into thin slices.
In a non-reactive pot, combine all of the ingredients; bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
You should have about 3 cups.
Court Bouillon can be made several days ahead, or it can be frozen.
Bring Court Bouillon to a simmer.
Put the fillets, skin side down, into the simmering liquid, lower heat, and poach gently until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Remove fish from the liquid, peel off the skin, and cover to keep warm.
Strain the Court Bouillon and put ¼ cup into a small saucepan.
Reserve remaining bouillon for another use.
Add wine and vinegar to the saucepan and bring to a boil; boil about 3 minutes until liquid is reduced to 2 tbs.
Over the lowest possible heat, whisk in the butter a bit at a time.
The butter should soften to make a creamy sauce but should not melt completely.
Stir in the chives, parsley, tarragon, and lemon juice.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the fish topped with the sauce.
Comments
