Pan Seared Trout with Mint Cilantro Chutney

By sallycohen

Monica has enliste a fantastic group of bloggers (including Dorie Greenspan on desserts!) to fill out her dinner party menu, so click over to her blog, A Life of Spice, to see more food from the book (she will have a round up of mouthwatering pics of everyone's dishes done by Monday night). There are some cocktails and appetizers (mini-Cheesecakes with tomatillo chutney!) that I really want to try.



Pan-Seared Trout with Mint-Cilantro Chutney

Julie's notes: Good substitutes for the trout are cod, snapper and tilapia.

Serve the trout with a drizzle of the Mint-Cilantro Chutney.

Serves 4
Prep/Cook time: 15 minutes

Mint-Cilantro Chutney
This is the most popular chutney in India, hands down. It can be found in many Indian-American homes, in restaurants, and now in jars on grocery store shelves. Its charm lies in how simple it is to prepare. My father always adds a little yogurt to his chutney to make it creamy and then pairs it with lamb kebabs. My mom-in-law adds a hearty dose of roasted peanuts and serves it with savory snacks; Mom adds pomegranate seeds—you get the idea—to each his own. This versatile chutney has so many uses. Thin it a little and use it as a salad dressing for a crisp green salad; use it in the consistency provided here as a spread on a baguette topped with fresh cucumber slices; or simply drizzle it on some freshly grilled fish for a fresh flavor. One word of advice here: Green chutneys have a short shelf life. Make them in small batches and make them often—they only take a few minutes but the rewards are well worth the effort (which really isn’t much).
Julie's notes: I did use the optional serrano chile with some of the seeds, but I did not use the optional dried pomegranate.

Ingredients

• 4 skin-on trout fillets, about 6 ounces each, halved lengthwise
• Table salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 ⁄4 cup Mint-Cilantro Chutney
• Makes 1 cup
• Prep time: 5 minutes
• 1 cup packed cilantro (leaves and stems)
• 1 cup packed mint (leaves only, please)
• 1 green serrano chile (optional; if you don’t like too much heat, remove the seeds)
• 1 ⁄4 small red onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon table salt
• Up to 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Step 1

1. Season the trout fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the trout, skin side down. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the trout is cooked through.
3. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, skin side down.
4. Place each fillet on a serving plate and drizzle each with up to a tablespoon of chutney. Serve immediately.




1. Blend the cilantro, mint, chile, onion, pomegranate seeds (if using), lemon juice, and salt in a blender to a smooth paste. To aid in the blending process, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of water, if needed. Taste and add more salt if needed.
2. Transfer to a covered container and chill for about 30 minutes.
3. Serve cool. This chutney will keep, refrigerated, for 4 days.