Speckled trout meunière

Meunière is a French method: fish dusted in flour, sautéed in butter, then sauced with browned butter and lemon. It is simple, and it suits a delicate, mild fish.

The flour coat should be nearly invisible. Tap off everything you can, and keep the heat gentle so the butter browns without burning.

About 20 min. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 skinless speckled trout fillets (4 to 6 oz each), patted dry
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp white or black pepper
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Whisk the flour, salt and pepper together on a shallow plate. Lightly coat each fillet on both sides and tap off all the extra, so only a thin film is left.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high until the foaming dies down.
3. Lay in the fillets and sauté 2½ to 3 minutes a side, until lightly golden. Move them to warm plates right away.
4. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 4 tbsp butter. Swirl for about 2 minutes, until the milk solids turn toasted hazelnut brown.
5. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, which will foam, and the parsley, and spoon the warm brown butter over the trout.

Notes

• Cook fish to 145°F in the thickest part, which is the FDA’s temperature for fish. Check with a thermometer.
• Take the butter off the heat as soon as it smells nutty. It goes from brown to burnt quickly.
• Speckled trout fillets are soft. Keep them cold from the water to the pan and handle them gently.
• Speckled trout have size and bag limits. Check TPWD’s current rules before you keep fish.
• TPWD lists consumption advisories for some Texas waters. If you caught the fish, check the advisories for that water before you cook it.

Sources: FDA: Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely (content current as of Mar. 5, 2024), TPWD: Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories.

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