(courtesy of Steve Hernandez, chef and owner, The Slanted Porch in Fallon. Serves 2)
4 filets trout
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Sprinkle trout with salt and pepper, then dust filets with flour. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter on medium-high heat in a skillet. Add filets and cook until light brown on both sides. Remove fish from the pan and cover to keep warm.
Return pan to heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add almonds and sauté, then add fresh lemon juice. Heat it through, then spoon over fish filets. Serve with additional lemon wedges and side of risotto (recipe below).
For risotto
About 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
½ cup shallots, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
¼ cup dry white wine, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water
½ pound asparagus, trimmed, ends cut off, spears cut into thin disks
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat stock in a small saucepan until it comes to a low simmer. In a separate 3- or 4-quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until translucent. Add Arborio rice and cook 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.
Add wine. Slowly stir, allowing rice to absorb wine. Once wine is almost completely absorbed, add ½ cup hot stock to rice. Continue to stir until liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in ½ cup increments.
Stir often to prevent rice from sticking to bottom of pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed and the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, about 20 to 25 minutes.
With the last ladle of stock, add asparagus. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, until risotto has absorbed stock but still is loose and the asparagus is not cooked through. (Note that the stock amount given is approximate. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without any, just use water.)
Turn off heat. Gently stir in Parmesan cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
