Pan-Roasted Sea Trout with Umbrian Lentils and Red Cabbage Sottaceto
I am a red wine drinker, so any fish preparation that can be enjoyed with red wine, such as this one, which is served with a rich lentil stew and pickled red cabbage, is a winner for me. Sea trout is a freshwater fish that drifted into the sea, so although it is trout, it looks and tastes like it wants to be salmon with pink flesh and the same moist, oily quality that you get from really good salmon. Sea trout is much more consistent in quality than salmon and also less expensive, so I hope you will enjoy this salmon alternative. Sottaceto means “pickled” in Italian. The cabbage here is slow-cooked in balsamic vinegar, so it’s like a pickle, which cuts through the richness of the lentils and the fattiness of the fish. The recipes for the cabbage and lentils both make more than you will need for four servings of fish. You can double the number of fish fillets you prepare, or serve the remaining cabbage and lentils on the side. Since the cabbage is pickled, it will keep, refrigerated, for at least a week.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
for the cabbage
for the fish
Preparation
Step 1
To make the cabbage, warm the oil and garlic together in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Season with salt and sauté the garlic, stirring constantly to prevent it from browning, for about 2 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, to wilt it slightly. Reduce the heat to low, add the vinegar, and simmer the cabbage 35 to 45 minutes, until the vinegar is reduced by about two-thirds and is thick and jammy. You don’t need to stir the cabbage while it cooks, just let it slowly simmer and it will melt down into the vinegar. You can prepare the cabbage to this point up to three days in advance. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving.
Step 2
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Season both sides of the trout with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium- high heat until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the fish fillets in the pan skin side down and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, so the skin begins to brown and crisp. Place the pan in the oven and cook for about 4 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. (To check for doneness, look at the skin around the outer edges of the fish; you want it to be a rich, crunchy, french-fry brown around the sides.) Remove the pan from the oven and slide a spatula under each fillet to turn it, taking care not to tear the skin or burn yourself, as the pan will be searing hot. Return the pan to the oven and cook the fish for another minute. Remove the pan from the oven and let the fish rest in the pan for 2 minutes.
Step 3
While the fish is cooking, combine 1/2 cup of the cabbage with the parsley in a small bowl and toss gently. Warm the lentils in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add enough water so they are the consistency of a thick porridge but not so thin that they will spread over the surface of the plate. Remove the lentils from the heat and drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the finishing-quality olive oil, stirring constantly for about a minute, until the lentils are creamy and emulsified.
Step 4
Ladle 1/4 cup of the lentils into the center of each of four plates. Lay the trout on top of the lentils, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over each fish fillet and top with the cabbage and parsley, dividing it evenly. Drizzle each serving of fish with the finishing olive oil, and serve with the remaining cabbage on the side.
suggested wine pairing
Step 5
Orvieto Superiore (Umbria)
