Catch in the Kitchen - Blue Trout

by Michael Bok

Mike, The Editor, gave me a book to have a look at called "The Armchair Angler" and said "check out the Blue Trout article and see what you think'.

This article described Blue Trout as "pure unadulterated essence of trout'. What really intrigued me about this recipe was why call it "Blue" trout. Apparently the colour comes from the same lubricant that makes a fish slippery and when cooked gives the fish a light metallic blue tingle.

The vital thing with this recipe is that the trout must be super fresh i.e just killed and gutted, not scaled, just before cooking. If the fish is not fresh or frozen it will not turn blue.

After several hours of researching recipes I think the following is one of the best. It comes from "La Cuisine - The Complete Book of French Cooking', a great book with easy to follow instructions.

Recipe

3 carrots

2 onions

3 shallots

2 litres water

Bouquet garni

Few fresh parsley sprigs

Salt and pepper

3 trout (cleaned - 500g)

750 ml wine vinegar

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Lemon wedges

Peel the carrots, onions and shallots and cut them into thin strips. Put the vegetables into a saucepan with the water, bouquet garni, parsley sprigs, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. Strain into a fish kettle or large pan and leave to cool. Put the trout in a shallow dish.

Boil the wine vinegar and pour it over the trout (this gives them their colour).

Leave to cool slightly, then plunge the fish into the stock in the fish kettle. Heat slowly until the liquid begins to simmer and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes.

Drain the trout carefully and arrange them on a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and surround with lemon wedges. Serve with melted butter.

Traditionally Blue Trout is served with small new potatoes bathed in butter and garnished with parsley. A good side dish would be fresh asparagus smothered in monsselin sauce (hollandaise sauce mixed with an equal part of stiffly whipped cream).

As to what to drink with this - try either a light dry white wine or for the beer drinkers, a fine astringent Pilsener beer, chilled to 8 degrees drinking temperature.

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