Trout With Haricots Verts And Almonds Food

TROUT WITH HARICOTS VERTS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• To pan-dress the trout:
• With scissors, cut away the dorsal fin along the back of each fish. Hold each pectoral fin (the one closest to the head) and cut away and discard the gill plate and pectoral fin. Turn the fish on its back and open it up. Starting at the head, cut away the belly flap on each side, along with the pelvic fin. Remove the tail by cutting across the fish about an inch from the bottom of the tail. Set aside.
• For the haricots verts:
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the haricots verts in the boiling water for 2 to 6 minutes, or until they are barely tender, with a slight bite still left to them. Drain the beans and transfer to the ice bath to chill quickly, then drain again and dry on paper towels.
• To complete:
• Lightly sprinkle both sides of each trout with salt and pepper. If you have them, heat two 12-inch nonstick pans (special oval pans work best for fish) over medium-high heat. If you have only one pan, cook two trout first, cover, and keep them in a warm place while you cook the final two. Coat each pan with a light film of canola oil. Add the trout skin side down and sauté for about 4 minutes on one side only. The fish may still look undercooked at the top of the flesh, but the hot ingredients that will top them will complete the cooking.
• Meanwhile, put the beans in a sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1/3 cup water, and place over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the beans are hot and glazed with butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.
• When the fish are done, cut off the heads and discard, if desired, and place the fish on serving plates. Drain the oil from one of the pans and return the pan to the heat. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and a pinch of salt to the hot pan. When the butter begins to brown, add the almonds, shaking the pan to brown them evenly. When they are a rich golden brown, add the parsley and lemon juice.
• Meanwhile, cover each trout with one-quarter of the beans.
• Spoon the foaming butter and almonds over the haricots verts and around the edges of the plates.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN TROUT WITH HAZELNUTS AND HARICOTS VERTS

Steps:

• Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. When they are lightly toasted, remove from the oven and immediately rub them vigorously in a heavy, dry kitchen towel to remove the skins. Set aside to cool.
• Place the new potatoes, the minced shallots, and the chicken stock in a 2 quart sauce pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done, but firm. The tip of a knife should penetrate them with a slight resistance.
• Meanwhile, cut off the head and tail of the trout. Using tweezers, remove any pin bones you may find in the trout. Separate the trout into 2 fillets each by cutting down the back of the trout. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge the trout fillets in the flour.
• Add the green beans to the potato pot, cover and place on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
• Preheat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Saute the trout fillets, skin side down, until golden brown. Turn the fillets and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the pan, and repeat until all the trout are cooked. Place all the fillets a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Add the contents of the potato pot to the trout pan. Add the hazelnuts, bring to a boil, and stir in the lemon juice and butter.
• To serve, divide the potato mixture onto 4 plates, and place 2 fillets, skin side up, crisscrossed on each plate. Spoon the remaining hazelnut sauce over each portion, and serve immediately.

HARICOTS VERTS ALMONDINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, toast the almonds over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, finely chop and set aside.
• Blanch the string beans in salted boiling water until crisp but tender, 2 to 3 minutes. The salt will impart flavor as well as help keep the string beans crisp. Immediately drain and run cold water over the beans or plunge into an ice bath to cool and stop the cooking process, then remove and completely dry.
• Return the saute pan to the burner over medium heat and melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the shallots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss the drained beans with the shallots and add the lemon zest and juice. Cook to heat the beans completely through, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Toss with the toasted chopped almonds and transfer to a serving dish.