Time for the good news and bad news of fall in Atlanta: it’s no longer 98 degrees every time you walk outside (summer had us the the third quarter though, not gonna lie) BUT you have to deal with days of misty rain and piles of wet leaves– which are definitely among my least favorite things. On good days, though, you can at least hole up in your house with some good food, and wait for “winter” to arrive…if it decides to come again this year.
Buy your fish de-boned, and scaled if possible to save time, but if you can’t– trout is a pretty easy fish to clean yourself. Dry the skin as much as possible with paper towel, then season and sear until the skin is crispy. I’d usually just flip it over and cook the other side in the same pan, but I used a few dry herbs and spices that would’ve burned. Instead, I finished cooking it skin-side up in the oven at around 380 degrees until it was fully cooked.
The grits are even simpler. Toss them into some browned butter, add the crumbled cotija cheese, and stir in some boiling water, and cover it until it thickens. Season as desired, and finish with a little butter.
Let’s cook.
You’ll need:
2-4 Trout Filets
2 Cups Corn Grits
1/4 Cup Green Onions, chopped
1/4 Cup Parsley, chopped
1/4 Cup Cotija Cheese
1 Tbs Dried Rosemary
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Salt
1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1/2 Tbs Black Pepper
1/2 Tbs Orange Peel
- Combine dried rosemary, onion powder, orange peel, paprika, and black pepper in a mortar, and mix well. Season the fish with salt, and spice mixture, then season the skin with salt. Set aside.
- Pre-heat the oven to 380 degrees. Add the vegetable oil to a heavy pan on med-high, and sear the fish skin-side down until crispy. Transfer the fish to a baking sheet skin-side up, and bake until fully cooked.
- Brown the butter in a separate pot, and add any remaining spices, and salt. Stir in grits, then cover with boiling water and stir until thickened.
- Taste for seasoning, then add green onion, and parsley to taste.
- Plate and serve.
Done.
Craving Mad 