SLIM PICKINGS AT THE GROCERY AND A TROUT RECIPE

 What a strange couple of weeks it was. At the hipermercado where I shop once a month for staples, preferred brands and heavy items, I found gaps on the shelves. There was none of my favorite laundry detergent. No 18-roll packs of house-brand toilet paper. Not even the kind of coffee and tea that I like. Most worrisome, there were no carrots.

On the evening news I realized why—a huelga de transportistas, a truckers’ strike. They were protesting, not vaccine requirements, but the high cost of diesel that fuels those big rigs that provision the big supermarket chains. And carry milk to the yogurt factory. And parts to the car manufacturers. 

By the following week, the situation was even more dire. My small local grocery had no fresh produce. Two bins of potatoes and a wall of empty shelves. The village market offered a reduced selection of fruits and vegetables. 

The fish stall at the market had a stunning spread of frozen seafood, all thawed and displayed as if fresh. Slabs of swordfish and diminutive sole, sliced hake and filleted anglerfish, shrimp and squid and octopus. The other fish shop was closed up tight. The fishing fleet was not on strike. The boats were staying in port because their fuel costs far exceeded what they would earn from their catch. 

By the first of April, the government had come through with a (complicated) plan for gas and diesel rebates and most of the truckers were on the road again. The fishing fleet went back to work this week. But, when I saw the price of fresh seafood, I looked for alternatives.

Trout big enough for stuffing.

Not seafood, but farmed fresh-water trout was my choice. I like small trout simply floured and pan-fried, Navarra style, with a few slices of serrano ham tucked in the cavity. The crisped skin is a delight. But my vendor had big trout—about 1 ¼ pounds each. A pair of these, perfect for stuffing, would be unwieldy for pan-frying. Roasting was the answer. Although the skin did not get as shatteringly crisp as I would have liked, the trout were delicious. 

Stuffed and roasted trout with a side of garlicky potatoes.

Finish the trout under the broiler to crisp the skin.

Ham gives saltiness, raisins contribute sweetness to the spinach stuffing with a few pine nuts for crunch.

Roasted Trout Stuffed with Spinach

Trucha Rellena al Horno

Have the fish opened up—butterflied—and spine removed. I chose to leave the remaining fiddly bones, the “ribs” and pin bones, as they are easier to extract once the fish is cooked. If desired, remove the skin before serving the trout.

The recipe makes enough stuffing for two good-sized trout or four small (8-ounce) ones. The hardest part of stuffing the trout was closing the stuffing in with toothpicks. I resorted to a knife to pierce the tough skin. Once roasted, be sure to remove the picks before serving the trout.

Ham, raisins, pine nuts, spinach.

Serves 4.

2 whole trout, each about 1 ¼ pounds, gutted and butterflied

Salt

Pepper

1 tablespoon seedless raisins

White wine (1 tbsp + 3 tbsp)

Olive oil (1 tbsp + 3 tbsp)

3 tablespoons serrano ham and/or bacon

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups chopped fresh spinach (3 onces)

¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs

Thinly sliced serrano ham (about 1 ounce)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Wash the trout well and pat them dry. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper.

Place the raisins in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon wine. Let them plump.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet. Add the ham or bacon, pine nuts, shallots and 1 clove of the chopped garlic. Sauté until pine nuts begin to turn golden, 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté it for a minute. Add the raisins and the wine in which they soaked. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is completely wilted and most of the liquid has cooked away. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Let the spinach mixture cool.

Ham slices on trout.

Spread filling on trout.

Open the trout on a flat work surface. Lay sliced ham on the bottom half of the fish. Spread half of the spinach mixture on top. Cover with the top of the fish. Use toothpicks to close the opening. Repeat with the second trout.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. 

Spoon mixture of olive oil, garlic, parsley and wine over trout before roasting.

Lightly oil a roasting pan or sheet pan large enough to hold the trout. In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons of the wine, 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1 of the chopped cloves of garlic and the chopped parsley.

Place the trout in the roasting pan. Spoon half of the wine-oil-garlic mixture over the fish. Place them in the top third of the oven. Roast for 10 minutes.

Spoon remaining wine-oil-garlic on the fish. Roast until fish is done, 10 minutes more. To test for doneness, probe the flesh with a skewer to see if it flakes easily. If desired to crisp the trout skin, turn the oven temperature up to “broil” and place the pan on a rack beneath the broiler. Broil until browned lightly, about 3 minutes.

Garlicky Potatoes

Patatas al Ajillo

The perfect accompaniment to the trout.

Serves 4.

1 pound potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Salt

Pepper

¼ cup white wine

Chopped parsley

Peel the potatoes and slice them crosswise 3/8-inch thick. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the potatoes and turn them in the oil until they are coated on all sides. Add the garlic. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Lower heat to moderate and cook the potatoes slowly, stirring frequently, until almost fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until all the liquid has cooked away and potatoes begin to sizzle again, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss with parsley immediately before serving. 

More recipes with trout:

Trout Stuffed with Ham and Mushrooms.

Smoked Trout Timbale.

Grilled Trout with Yogurt Sauce.