A member of the salmon family, rainbow trout cooks and tastes a lot like salmon, but with a lighter, more delicate flavor. I used a tried-and-true mix of turmeric, cumin, and cayenne to bring some liveliness to the overall dish — which comes together in about 30 minutes. The ChalkStream itself cooks in under five minutes — it’s delicious and delightfully convenient.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
½ cup plain yogurt
Canola oil
4 ChalkStream trout portions
½ pound new potatoes, quartered if large
½ pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half on diagonal
½ small seedless cucumber, cut into ovals, then halved
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Combine turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Place the yogurt in another small bowl and stir in half of the spice mix. Set aside.
Remove fish from fridge, pat dry, and sprinkle the remaining spice mix over the fillets. Sprinkle a little more salt over the trout and set aside.
When the water boils, add green beans and cook for about five minutes, until they turn bright green and start to soften (for this dish, I like the green beans to be just slightly soft rather than super crisp). Remove with a strainer and transfer to a bowl of ice water.
Add the potatoes to the water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until you can easily poke into a potato with the tines of a fork. Drain into a colander, return to the (now-empty) pot, cover and set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, cook the fish: Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering and just barely smoking, add the trout, skin side down. Cook without moving for 3 minutes — stand back, because the oil will sputter — then flip and cook for another minute (maybe 2 if you like the fish cooked more toward medium). Remove from heat and rest the fish while you plate the food.
To serve, spread some of the spiced yogurt on the bottom of a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Arrange the potatoes and green beans in the center of the plate. Break the fish into large flakes and arrange among the vegetables. Garnish dish with cucumber slices and cilantro leaves, and finish with a sprinkle of salt. Serve with any remaining yogurt on the side.
