Going Rogue With Trout Arrabbiata

The universe is telling me I really should cook with this freshwater fish.

My next cookbook is about as far from The French Laundry Cookbook as you can get: The “Pine Valley Springs Trout Cookbook” is a spiral-bound second edition whose first edition was likely a stapled sheaf of mimeographs.

I can find no mention of this cookbook online, save for a single listing on Ebay, and a mention on Amazon (with no copies available). The Pine Valley Springs Trout Farm is also long gone, though I found mentions of the authors, Bill and Betty Erdmenger, as managers of other fishing-resort-type properties in western Wisconsin.

This book likely came from a family friend who was passionate about fishing. He even had a pontoon boat over on the Mississippi River for weekend fishing getaways. My dad fished, too, but was not as devoted.

( I do have a fond memory of my dad teaching me the Greek alphabet while we were fishing for bluegill in Big Creek. I was probably 8 years old. “Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta, eta, theta …”)

Unfortunately, my childhood memories of eating fish are not so fond. Invariably there would be BONES — tiny, sharp slivers that took endless mastication of a single forkful to discover and extract before I could even dream of swallowing. We never had something as benign and boneless as fish sticks; it was always someone’s catch.

I’ve since come to appreciate some kinds of fish, like cod and halibut, that can be enjoyed without fear of bones, but I wasn’t looking forward to cooking trout. Was considering skipping this cookbook entirely.

Then my friend Barb called. “We forgot to update our Home Chef order, and they sent us two meals with trout. My daughter won’t eat fish. Do you want it?”

I guess the universe really wanted me to give trout a go.

Arrabbiata Trout Recipe

1. Start a batch of rice or other starch if desired.

2. Slice 3 carrots into ¼-inch angled slices and 1 bell pepper into 1-inch dice. Pat dry 2 10-ounce trout filets and season the flesh side with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil, the vegetables, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and ¼ cup water. Cover and steam the vegetables for 5 minutes, then uncover and add 1 ounce white wine. Cook the vegetables another 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon-garlic butter and remove from heat.

4. In the meantime, cook the fish: Heat another non-stick pan with 1 teaspoon oil and add the trout filets, flesh side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the fish is opaque and at least 145 degrees.

5. Make the sauce: In a microwavable bowl, combine 2 ounces crème fraîche with 1 ounce arrabbiata pesto and heat for 1 minute in the microwave.

This was really quite tasty! The fish was mild and tasted fresh. The sauce could have been spicier, but that’s typical of chef kits — and one reason we don’t use them anymore. I liked this preparation for the vegetables and will probably try it again.

Luckily for you, I’ve got another pair of trout filets in the freezer that I will use in a recipe from the actual trout cookbook. The Sergeant keeps talking about this recipe, but I don’t think he’s serious:

Stay tuned to find out!