GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- Summer is just around the corner, and that means lots of time spent out on the water.
But what do you do with all the fish you catch? Lenny Russo, the five-time James Beard-nominated chef, shares a delicious trout recipe from his new cookbook "Heartland: Farm-Forward Dishes from the Great Midwest."
Russo, chef at Heartland in St. Paul, was inspired by the lakes, fields, farms and orchards of his adopted homeland to create 100 delectable recipes.
He will be signing copies of his cookbook at Common Good Books in St. Paul on Tuesday, May 10 at 7 p.m.
Grilled Lake Trout with Braised Turnip Greens and Yogurt Sauce (Serves 6)
For the trout:
6 lake trout filets (4 to 6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
For the sauce:
1 ½ cups plain low-fat yogurt
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the greens:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups turnip greens, stemmed
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup Court-Bouillon
Preheat a grill to moderate heat. Rub the trout on both sides with grapeseed oil and season it with the salt and white pepper. Grill the trout, about 6 minutes per side, until medium rare. Keep warm until ready to serve.
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, onions, dill, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to mix well.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and sweat until soft, about 1 minute. Add the greens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and pour in the court-bouillon. Cover and braise until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Divide the braised greens among six serving plates, and top each with a trout filet. Spoon a dollop of sauce alongside the fish and serve.
Lake Trout Gravlax with Cucumber Salad and Dill Crème Fraîche (Serves 10 to 12)
1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
1 5-pound skin-on steelhead trout filet, trimmed of belly meat, squared and pin boned
1/4 cup aquavit
1/2 cup finely chopped dill
Cucumber Salad (see recipe)
Dill Crème Fraîche (see recipe)
Combine the salt, sugar and peppers in a small bowl. Sprinkle some of the dry spice mix in the bottom of a shallow pan. Rub the flesh of the trout filet with the remaining spice mix. Place the filet, skin side down, in the pan. Drizzle with the aquavit and coat with the dill.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down tightly over and around the fish. Place another pan on top, and weight it with a heavy object. Refrigerate for 4 days. Flip the fish, and refrigerate for 4 more days. Remove the fish from the pan. Wrap the filet in plastic and refrigerate until needed. It will keep for one month refrigerated and up to six months frozen.
To serve, top thin slices of the gravlax with a dollop of the crème fraiche. Accompany with cucumber salad and rye crackers or brown bread.
Dill Crème Fraîche
To make, combine:
1 cup crème fraiche
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cucumber Salad (makes about 2 cups):
1 pound cucumbers, thinly sliced (seedless cucumbers are best for this salad)
½ cup thinly sliced red onions
¼ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespons champagne vinegar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
Wild Rice Madeleines (Makes about 2 dozen 1 ½-inch cookies)
Proust’s iconic cookie gets a Midwestern accent with earthy local wild rice flour. These taste best when freshly baked and still warm, with a dusting of powdered sugar clinging to their golden edges. However, they can be kept at room temperature for up to one week in an airtight container.
To create cake flour, subtract 2 tablespoons from 1 level cup all-purpose flour and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to combine before using.
6 large eggs
1 cup minus
1 tablespoon (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) wild rice flour
3 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 cup unsalted butter
In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip the eggs with the sugar to full volume until thick. In another bowl, sift together the wild rice flour, cake flour and baking powder. Fold the egg and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Melt the butter, and fold into the batter. Refrigerate for 20 to minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400º F. Grease a madeleine pan and dust it with flour. Scoop 1 rounded tablespoon of batter into each madeleine mold. Bake for 8 minutes or until the madeleines set. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn out the madeleines onto a rack while still warm.