Pan-fried trout with naartjie and dill butter sauce
Locally farmed rainbow trout is quick and easy to prepare. Ask your fishmonger to pin-bone the fillets for a completely boneless experience that’s popular with the whole family. Also an elegant choice for a dinner party.
Ingredients
125 g butter
1 clove garlic, finely grated
juice of a naartjie
juice of half a lemon
a handful fresh dill, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
30 ml olive oil, for frying
600 g fresh trout fillets (rainbow trout or salmon trout), cleaned and pin-boned, cut into portions
a crisp green salad, for serving
Method
Make the basting sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic, naartjie juice, lemon juice and dill. Season with salt & pepper and stir until mixed. Boil briefly, then remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large non-stick pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the trout portions in the pan skin-side down and fry for about 2-3 minutes, seasoning the flesh side with salt & pepper. Turn over briefly and fry for another 30seconds – don’t overcook the fish, it should still be slightly pink in the middle. Remove the fish from the pan and plate up, spooning the sauce over the fish generously. Serve at once with a crisp green salad.
