An original idea for the table
Pan-Seared Trout with Steamed Potatoes & Celery-Parsley Butter
Skin-on trout with tender potatoes and a small spoonful of butter carrying finely diced celery, parsley, and lemon zest.
Paired with Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin 2023
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 25 minutes
- Total
- About 40 minutes
Steam the potatoes while you make the butter and cook the fish. Thicker fillets or larger potatoes may take longer.
Gather
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on trout fillets (5–6 oz / 140–170 g each), pin bones removed
- 1 lb (450 g) small waxy potatoes, halved if larger than 1½ inches
- 1 celery stalk (about 60 g), cut into very fine dice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons hot water from the potato pan
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Useful equipment
Saucepan with steamer basket and lid, small saucepan, wide nonstick skillet, and food thermometer.
Make
At the stove
Steam the potatoes.
Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in the covered saucepan, below the base of the steamer basket. Add the potatoes to the basket, cover, and steam for 18–22 minutes, until a small knife slides in easily. Check the water level and add more hot water if needed. Take 2 tablespoons hot water from the pan before draining it.
Soften the celery in butter.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the celery and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the celery is softened but still has a little bite. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the 2 tablespoons hot water.
Prepare the trout.
Pat the fillets dry and check again for pin bones. Season both sides with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Keep the raw fish and its utensils apart from the cooked potatoes.
Sear in two batches.
Heat half the oil in the nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add two fillets skin-side down and gently press with a spatula for the first 15 seconds so the skin meets the pan. Cook for 3–5 minutes, lower the heat to medium, and turn carefully. Cook for roughly 1–3 minutes more, until the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C); insert the thermometer from the side where practical. Transfer to warm plates and repeat with the remaining oil and fish. Thickness matters more than the suggested minutes.
Spoon, rather than flood.
Divide the potatoes among the plates and gently split them with a fork. Rewarm the celery-parsley butter over low heat if necessary, stirring; do not boil it hard. Spoon a little over the potatoes and flesh of the trout, leaving most of the crisp skin uncovered.
Trout fillets vary in thickness. If one finishes before the others, move it to a warm plate instead of holding it over the heat.
Food meets wine
Why this pairing?
The potatoes and modest amount of butter put texture at the center of this Chablis pairing. Celery and parsley keep the finish savory, while a little lemon zest adds aroma without turning the dish into a lemon sauce. With Saint Martin, the useful question is how the wine’s texture feels alongside fish and butter, rather than assuming every Chardonnay needs the same food.
Read the Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin 2023 profile →