Pan-Fried Trout With Rosemary, Lemon and Capers

By Molly O’Neill

Published June 4, 1994

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 20 minutes
Rating
5(1,671)
Comments
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This 1994 recipe gets Provencal flavors on the table in minutes. Fresh rosemary needles are pressed into the fillets, which are seasoned in flour and pan fried for a crisp exterior and flaky inside. A sauce built on shallots, white wine and lemon adds complexity. Pair it with a light vegetable like sautéed asparagus, or a bright arugula salad, and serve with some of that white wine for an easy, refreshing spring dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

  • 4 trout fillets

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 shallots, peeled and minced

  • 1 cup white wine

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon drained capers

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

14 grams carbs; 267 milligrams cholesterol; 773 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 580 milligrams sodium; 92 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Press ½ teaspoon of the rosemary needles into the flesh of each trout fillet. Combine the flour, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Coat the fillets in the seasoned flour.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the trout and saute until cooked through, about 2 ½ minutes per side. Remove the trout from the pan and place on warmed plates. Add the shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 seconds.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the wine and reduce to ⅓ cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, capers and remaining teaspoon rosemary and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1 trout fillet on each of 4 plates, spoon the sauce over the trout and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,671 user ratings
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Comments

theboken

Do this and change your fish game forever: start the fish skin-side down, and AS SOON as the fish hits the pan, press down on it, especially the edges, with your hand or spatula for about 15 sec or so - effectively stopping the skin from curling and the filet from contorting or "warping" under high heat. Now you have a nice skin that covers the full length of the filet and a better guarantee of even cooking. Cook skin side down for MOST of the time, then just a touch on the naked side.

Nora

Try bruising the leaves of a whole stem of rosemary (i.e., leave leaves attached for easy removal), adding it at the same time as the shallots, then remove the rosemary stem before spooning the reduced pan sauce onto the fish. You'll get the flavor of the rosemary without the texture of the leaves. Adjust the amount of rosemary you add the next time based on how much of its flavor you like.

Cate Doty, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking

Yes, skin side down.

Laurie K

Really delicious. I served it with some angel hair pasta and sautéed green beans for a truly delicious meal. Hubby loved it. As others recommended, I added a TBSP of butter at the end as well.

Rachel Z.

Delicious! Used a cup of no-chicken broth w/tbs of red wine vinegar instead of the white wine b/c we didn't have wine handy, and it was great. If you use broth instead of wine, be careful not to oversalt the fish w/flour mixture. Also, I forgot the capers and it was still very flavorful.

mcalon

I used skinless rock fish fillets, fines herbes instead of rosemary. It’s now in the rotation.

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