Morel-crusted Trout Salad with Apple and Walnut Vinaigrette
Trout coated with morel powder and yellow cornmeal are sauteed, then served with fresh greens and a dressing based on walnut oil and apple cider vinegar. The quickness and ease with which you can prepare the trout makes this already delicious dish taste even better. But remember to start the night before to allow time for the trout to marinate.
Ingredients
- Dressing
- Walnut Oil - 1⁄4 cup
- Shallots - 1 teaspoon, peeled and finely minced
- Apple cider vinegar - 1⁄4 cup
- Salad
- Walnuts - 1⁄2 cup, coarsely chopped
- Apples - 2 small, peeled and diced
- Mixed Lettuces - 4 cups, (red leaf, oak leaf, Boston, arugula, mache)
- Trout and Marinade
- Whole Brook Trout - fou,r 8- to 10-ounce, cleaned, washed, and dressed
- Heavy Cream - 2 cups
- Kosher salt - 1⁄2 tablespoon
- Black Pepper - 1 tablespoon
- Tabasco Sauce - 1⁄2 teaspoon
- Morel Flour Mix
- Morel Powder - 1 cup (see Note)
- Yellow Cornmeal - 1⁄2 cup
- All-Purpose Flour - 1⁄4 cup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegetable Oil - 1-1⁄2 cups, for frying (alt. clarified butter) (see Basics)
- Walnut pieces - for garnish
Instructions
To make the dressing: In a small bowl combine the walnut oil, shallots, and vinegar. Beat with a whisk until well combined.
To make the salad: In a large bowl toss the walnut pieces, apples, and assorted lettuces.To prepare the trout: Wash and dry the trout. Remove the head, gills, and viscera with kitchen shears. Cut off the fins close to the body. In a large shallow baking dish mix the heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Place the trout in the marinade and refrigerate overnight.
In a large bowl combine the morel powder, cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper. Remove the trout from the marinade, dredge in the morel flour mix. In a large skillet heat the clarified butter or oil over medium heat. Sauté the trout slowly over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side. They are done when you can just separate flesh from bone at the ridge end of the back and there is no pink color near the bone when you look into the cavity. Remove the trout to the center of 4 serving plates.
To serve: Arrange the mixed greens around the trout and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with walnut pieces.Note: Morel powder is available in specialty grocery stores, but if you can’t locate morel powder you can make your own by grinding dried morels in an electric blender to a fine powder.
