Crab-Stuffed Rainbow Trout with vanilla and sweet potato puree, braised fennel, Sicilian salsa verde, and saba mitica
Recipe courtesy of Tim Pervizi, Executive Chef, Huntingdon Valley (Pa.) Country Club.
Ingredients
- whole rainbow trout - 2
- shirmp - 1 lb.
- eggs - 2
- heavy cream - 1 qt.
- sweet potatoes - 2
- jumbo lump crab - 2 lbs.
- vanilla beans - 2
- fennel - 2 bulbs
- orange juice - 1 qt.
- chicken stock - 1 qt.
- garlic cloves - 10
- chives - 1 bunch
- parsley - 1 bunch
- thyme - 1 bumch
- rosemary - 1 bunch
- extra virgin olive oil - drizzle
- sherry vinegar - splash
- lemons - 2
- anchovies - 10 each
Instructions
For Trout:
- Scale and remove pin bones from whole trout. Remove head, tail, and spine, creating two filets. Leave skin on.
- Season flesh side of both filets.
For Crab Stuffing:
- In a food processor, combine 1 lb. of shrimp, 2 eggs, ½ cup heavy cream, chopped parsley and sliced chives. Puree until smooth. Season conservatively with kosher salt.
- Place mixture in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Gently fold in jumbo lump crab.
- Brush flesh side of trout with egg wash and press 1-in.-thick layer of stuffing on flesh side. Lay second filet flesh side down on top.
For Vanilla Sweet Potato Puree:
- Toss sweet potatoes skin on with salt, pepper and olive oil. Pierce with grill fork several times. Pack in salt and roast until tender. When cooled enough to handle, peel back skin and reserve insides.
- In a pot, bring to a gentle simmer heavy cream, steeped with 2 scraped vanilla beans. After simmering for 20 minutes, combine with sweet potato and puree in Vitamix until smooth. Pass through a tamis and reserve.
For Braised Fennel:
- Remove tops and core from fennel bulb. Season and sear on all sides until golden brown.
- Pour heated mixture of orange juice, chicken stock, garlic, cloves, rosemary and thyme over fennel in a shallow hotel pan. Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place in oven set to 275 degrees and let braise until completely tender.
For Silican Salsa Verde:
- Finely chop rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives and capers.
- Puree garlic, cloves and anchovies into a paste. Combine herbs and paste.
- Drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil until a consistency similar to nape is reached.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, a splash of sherry vinegar, and lemon juice.
