A spring-inspired recipe for Steelhead Trout (or salmon) with Mushrooms, New Potatoes & Truffled Spring Pea Sauce. Simple, elegant and perfect for entertaining.
This little number is a nod to Spring and all the lovely green that has sprung up around here so unbelievably early this year. In this recipe, I used Steelhead for the fish because that’s what we seem to have the most of here. This is also delicious with salmon, scallops or a rich whitefish.
Table Of Contents
What is Steelhead Trout?
Steelhead trout is technically trout and is related to Pacific salmon and ocean trout, but if you ask me, it looks and tastes a lot more like salmon; so I treat it like salmon.
Steelhead Trout Ingredient Notes
- Fish– Steelhead trout, ocean trout, wild salmon, sea bass, or black cod. Skin-on is great!
- Peas- Use fresh shucked Engish peas (available at Trader Joes) and blanch them, or use frozen peas, thawed.
- Potatoes: Use the tiniest potatoes you can find, and leave them whole, or use medium thin-skinned potatoes and slice.
- Seasonings: Fresh tarragon and truffle oil make the dish! Mint and basil can work too.
- Mushrooms: Fresh spring morels are perfection her, or use shiitakes, maitakes, oyster, etc.
*See the recipe card for the full ingredient list.
How to make Steelhead Trout
Step one: Make the Sauce! The truffled pea sauce is one of my favorites…fresh spring peas, blended with truffle oil, tarragon and lemon into a silky luscious sauce you will want to mop up with every one of these tender new potatoes. Blanch the peas ( or use frozen peas) and blend up the sauce.
Look how creamy the sauce gets!
The sauce is whipped up in minutes.
And it’s color makes me happy every time.
Step Two: Blanch the potatoes, saute the mushrooms, warm the pea sauce and pan-sear the fish. It’s a four pan kind of meal, but it comes together surprisingly easy and fast. I can whip this up in 30 minutes if I’m efficient and multitasking.
Step three: Pan-sear the Steelhead Trout. I personally love love love crispy-skinned fish, but feel free to use fish without the skin, if that is your preference. Just right before searing, pat it dry, season with salt and pepper, and place it a hot oiled skillet.
TIP: The secret to searing fish, is to season it after its patted dry, just right before searing. Otherwise if you salt too early, the salt will draw out moisture from the fish and you won’t get a good sear. Place it in the hot skillet, and give the pan a shake. The awesome thing about fish, is it takes only about 5 minutes to cook.
Step four: Plate the dish.
First, divide the sauce. Then form a foundation of little blanched potatoes (season them!) for the fish.
Place the fish on top. If you made crispy skin fish, place the skin side up to keep it from getting soggy.
Top with the tender mushrooms, a few more drops of truffle oil and a sprig of herb.
Enjoy your beautiful creation!
Steelhead Trout Recipe
A delicious recipe for Steelhead Trout, pan-seared with Mushrooms, New Potatoes & Truffled Spring Pea Sauce…a simple, elegant spring-inspired dinner!
Instructions
Ingredients
Potatoes:
- 3 cups baby new potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil.
Truffle Pea Sauce
- 2 cups fresh shucked peas, blanched briefly (or use frozen, thawed, no need to blanch)
- 1/2 cup water plus 1 T more if necessary, to get the blender going.
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon truffle oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/3 cup fresh tarragon, basil, mint or Italian Parsley ( I like tarragon best!)
Mushrooms:
- 1 shallot- diced (or 1/4 Cup red onion)
- 8 ounces mushrooms (cremini, shiitake or morels)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
4 x 5-ounce pieces of steelhead trout, ocean trout, king salmon, black cod, or sea bass
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook baby potatoes in salted boiling water until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and butter.
- Make Truffled Pea Sauce: Blanch fresh peas in salted boiling water, until just cooked, about 2 minutes, or until they float. Rinse with ice cold water to shock them and stop the cooking process ( to help them stay green). Place peas in a blender with the rest of the pea sauce ingredients, and blend until very smooth. Place in a saucepan, and do not heat until right before serving.
- Saute Mushrooms. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet. Saute mushrooms and shallots over medium heat, until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Sear the fish. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Once hot, sear the fish, skin side down, until the skin is golden and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and cook for a couple more minutes or place in a warm oven- until just cooked through to medium ( or medium rare).
- Assemble: Heat pea sauce over medium-low heat, do not boil, just gently heat to keep its color vibrant. Divide the warmed pea sauce among plates. Top with potatoes, then fish. To keep the skin crispy, serve with skin side up. Top with the mushrooms. Finish with few drops of truffle oil over the mushrooms and a sprig of fresh herb. Serve immediately… and enjoy!
