Grilled Trout with Asparagus and Sorrel Sauce by Daniel Boulud

Ingredients

The Sorrel Sauce

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup oil, such as olive, vegetable, or grapeseed

4 ounces fresh sorrel (or arugula), stems removed, washed, and cut into small pieces

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tabasco sauce, to taste

The Asparagus & Trout

Kosher salt, as needed

6 large white asparagus spears, peeled, and bottoms 1-inch trimmed

6 jumbo green asparagus spears, bottoms 1½-inches trimmed

Olive oil, as needed

2 trout fillets (about 8 ounces each), deboned, scaled, and skin removed

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 ounce trout roe

Instructions

Preheat your grill. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

To make the sauce: Bring a small pot of water to a boil, and gently lower the eggs, still in their shells, into the water. Cook for 6 minutes, then cool under cold running water. When the eggs have cooled enough to crack open, use a spoon to scoop them out of their shells into a blender. Add the Dijon and ¼ cup water, and blend until smooth. With the blender still running, slowly pour in the oil. Add the sorrel leaves, and blend on high until smooth and incorporated. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired.

To make the asparagus: Lightly season the large pot of boiling water with salt. Add the white asparagus, reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook for 3 minutes, then add the green asparagus. Continue to cook for 6 minutes, or until tender. So you don’t break the tips, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus from the water. Drain onto a towel-lined plate, and reserve in a warm place.

To make the trout: Drizzle olive oil on each trout fillet, and season with salt and pepper. Lay the fillets, skin side up, on the hot grill. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to create distinct grill marks. When the trout fillets are halfway cooked, flip them over, and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

To plate and serve: Place each trout fillet on a warmed dinner plate, and top with sorrel sauce on one side. Divide the asparagus among the plates, arranging them in alternating colors. Top the asparagus with the trout roe, and serve.

Note: White asparagus has a thicker skin than green, so it is very important to peel the white asparagus from the head to the bottom of the stem. 

If you don’t have a grill, you can use a metal skewer to mark the trout with “grill marks.” Place the top 2-inches of the skewer over the heating element of your stove until it is red hot, and then carefully touch it to the surface of the fish to mimic the effect of a grill. Finish cooking the trout in the oven at 350°F.

Serves 3-4.