Gremolata--an Italian condiment made of parsley, garlic and lemon zest--turns freshly caught trout into a delicious and super-easy supper. Olive oil-mashed potatoes are a tasty accompaniment.
A confession: I don’t like trout. I especially don’t like it smoked. Even fresh it always seems a little tasteless. Sometimes it has the faintest flavor of silt.
OK, OK. I can hear all you trout-lovers and fishing fanatics snorting in disbelief.
But trust me. I was secretly dreading the lunch that Adriana had planned for us at Rincon Atamisque in Argentina’s Valle de Uco. Once there, however, I was so seduced by the setting—wooden tables scattered under the trees, golden leaves drifting onto pale blue linens, snow capped mountains in the distance—that I said to myself, “Just go with it.”
I was wrong, of course. That is, I was right to go with plan. The trout, freshly caught from the Rincon’s own pond and cooked to order, was superb. It may have been the most delicious meal I had in Argentina.
Groan. I hear all you steak lovers saying, "Whaaaat?!"
But back to the trout: The just-caught freshness of the fish had a lot to do with my enthusiasm. Still, I suspect that the gremolata made all the difference.
This rather simple condiment, of Italian origin, is usually made of parsley, lemon zest and sometimes, but not always, a clove or two of garlic. It is traditionally served with osso buco, hearty braised veal shanks that get a lift from the blend of chopped, green, chlorophyll-rich parsley, the pungent garlic and fresh, tangy citrus zest.
At Atamisque, the gremolata, enriched with olive oil and blended with toasted pinenuts, was downright voluptuous. Almost anything, even cardboard, would taste good slathered with the stuff. Making the trout at home is simplicity itself, once you’ve located your fresh fish. The whole dish takes no more than 25 minutes from start to finish.
Of course, you could also make the olive oil mashed potatoes that the Rincon served with the trout—and I encourage you to do so. Use your favorite method for mashed potatoes, substituting lots and lots of extra virgin olive oil for the butter and cream. (If you do, add another 30 minutes for boiling the potatoes. You can mash them while the trout is in the oven. Stir in chopped sauteed scallion greens for extra flavor.)
A note on gremolata: The condiment is so simple that it’s tempting to fool around with the basic ingredients. Wikipedia briefly remarks that some versions are made with mint and anchovies. If you google the word, you’ll find recipes for gremolata made with orange, cilantro, rosemary, hazelnuts, thyme and red pepper—well you get the idea.
You can even try my own favorite, made with toasted walnuts and preserved lemon peel. The recipe is right here on SpiceLines. (Kindly ignore the fact that I called it a pesto.)
But for trout, make it Atamisque’s way first. This recipe is a keeper.
Trout Atamisque with Parsley, Lemon Zest and Pine Nuts
(Based on Trucha con Gremolata at Rincon Atamisque, Valle de Uco, Argentina)
This recipe will probably make more gremolata that you will need. Better too much than too little. I'm sure you'll think of something to do with the leftovers.
To serve 2 people
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 fresh whole trout, about ½ to 2/3 pound each, head on, filleted
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Grated zest from 2 organic lemons
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a small, dry, cast iron skillet, lightly toast the pine nuts over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or just until they begin to turn golden brown. (Be careful not to let them burn.) Pour the nuts onto a plate and let cool.
2. Rinse the trout in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Lay the fish side by side in a large baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle, inside and out, with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Coarsely chop the parsley and the garlic. Place in the bowl of a food processor along with the grated lemon zest and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Do not puree. Pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse to combine. Add salt to taste.
4. Reserving 2 tablespoons of the gremolata, mix the rest with the toasted pine nuts. Loosely stuff the cavities of the two trout with the gremolata-pinenut mixture. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the trout to moisten the skin.
5. Roast in the middle of a 425 degree oven for 13 to15 minutes. Raise the heat to 500 degrees and roast for 2 more minutes, until the trout skin is very lightly browned.
6. Remove the fish to individual plates. Mix some of the remaining gremolata with enough olive oil to make it runny. Drizzle the parsley mixture on top of the fish and around the plate, in any way you please. Serve at once.
