This, my friends, is entertaining elegance. Trout stuffed with shrimp and scallops with a beurre blanc sauce…..it doesn’t get any better.
- 2 lb. centre cut trout fillet
- pinch of salt and pepper
Place fillet, skin side down. Hold one end corner with a paper towel and angle the knife slightly toward skin, but without moving, slowly pull the skin back and forth to remove. Discard skin. Trim any silver skin remaining. *see hint below
At the thinnest long side and just starting where the trout starts to thicken, cut in half, horizontally almost through but not quite (open like a book). Leave a 1 inch border on both the long and 1 short side.
Seafood Stuffing
- 1 egg white
- 8 oz. raw Black Tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 oz. Bay scallops
- 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp. grated lime
- 1 tsp. tarragon, fresh
- pinch of salt and pepper
In a bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Set aside. Finely chop the shrimp, cut the scallops in 1/2 inch cubes. Add this to the egg white, along with the bread crumbs, chives, parsley, lime zest, tarragon salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Refrigerate while oven is heating up.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the stuffing over the salmon. Starting at the side with the stuffing, roll up. With kitchen string, tie at 1 inch intervals. Place what was the skin side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven until a thermometer inserted into the stuffing through the end of the roll registers 160 degrees. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.
Lemon Tarragon Beurre Blanc
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup dry vermouth
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tsp. grated lime rind
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
- pinch each of salt and pepper
In a small saucepan, boil the shallots, vinegar and vermouth until reduced to 2 tbsp. (3 minutes). Reduce heat to low, whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until smooth. Add the tarragon,. lime zest and salt.
Use a chef’s knife and a very gentle sawing motion, slice the trout crosswise in 1 inch thick portions, removing string. Serve with the sauce.
Hint: skinning the trout when it is cold is much easier or ask the fishmonger to skin and butterfly the trout to save you any frustration.
