Whole Trout Asian Style on Bed of Broccolini and Mushrooms

Sous Vide Details: Cook whole trout at 132F for 1 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 1 whole fresh trout (2 lbs)
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions 
• 1 cup thinly sliced ginger
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use light soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• For the broccolini and mushroom bed:
• 2 bunches broccolini
• 2 cups shimeji mushrooms
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
• 2 tablespoons your favorite vinegar (I used champagne vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

There's something about cooking a whole fish that is very satisfying as a chef.  Of course, maybe it's my Asian heritage that sparks that satisfaction since Asians typically cook fish whole.  It is a spiritual representation of live, the head being the beginning of life, the body the middle of life and the tail the end of life.  I used to cook whole fish using my handy fish steamer pot, a long and thin high walled pot with a perforated platform inside.  Nothing wrong with that method of cooking as it produced very tender and moist fish every time.  However, now that I'm a sous vide home chef, I decided to try whole sous vide trout!  First off to the market (Ranch 99) to get a nice fresh whole trout.  I found a nice 2 pounder that would fit inside a bag and inside my vacuum chamber, two key requirements.

Have the trout de-gutted and de-scaled.  In a bowl, mix the thinly sliced (Julienned) ginger, shredded carrots, julienned scallions and chopped cilantro and minced garlic.  Fill the trout cavity with the mixture.  Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the skin and place in a bag.  Add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the sesame seed oil and seal.  Pre-heat the water bath to 132F and drop the trout in and cook for 1 hour.

To prepare the broccolini and mushroom bedding, bring water to a brisk boil in a large pot.  Blanch the broccolini for 2-3 minutes and then place them in an ice water bath to quickly cool them.  This helps retain their color.  Set aside for now.

When the fish has roughly 10 minutes to go, heat a large pan over medium heat and add the EVO and minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, soy sauce and vinegar and stir until hot.  Add the broccolini and cook for 3 - 5 minutes allowing the liquid to reduce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Take what's left of the ginger-carrot-scallion-cilantro mixture and add the EVO and the other 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix well.  Place in microwave and heat for 30 - 45 seconds until hot.

When the trout is ready, heat an iron skillet on medium high heat with the EVO.  Take the trout out of the water bath and bag and place in the skillet and sear both sides of the trout, roughly 30 seconds per side.  Use a wide spatula to turn the fish and be careful as it is fully cooked and can potentially separate.

For plating, arrange the broccolini/mushroom mix on a large plate as a bed for the trout.  Add the trout on top in the center of the bedding.  Take the heated ginger-carrot-scallion-cilantro mixture and spread it on top of the trout.  Serve it up!

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