Unfortunately, my midwestern-raised (in the crucial, formative early eating years) husband does not like fish. This means that I seldom prepare it or even eat it as often as I'd like.
After all, food is love and serving up the love is half the fun! Tonight was a night where I could not imagine eating anything other than fish. Alex ate peanuts for dinner. Boy, did he miss out! My future fish lover Andrew gobbled it up :D
First, thinly slice up a fennel bulb. I used a mandoline which slices it up very thin and quickly.Heat a large skillet pan on high heat then add a TB of olive oil. Cook the fennel for around 7 minutes. Allow to brown up nicely by turning no more often than once a minute. At the end of that time, salt & pepper. If you have a lid for this pan, add 1/4 cup dry white wine and simmer for 7 more minutes. I started up a smaller (covered) sauce pan with wine and once it was simmering, added the fennel and cooked on low heat.
Chop a tablespoon of parsley and salt & pepper both sides of your trout (Alex did this while I flipped it).
After 7 minutes the fennel is done. Check seasoning, add parsley and toss.
Melt a pat of butter in a nonstick skillet over high heat and once sizzling subsides, add trout skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes. Carefully turn and cook one minute more.
Nicely browned. The skin is tasty (I had some).
The taster has a funny face on here. I realize why: he closed his eyes to taste! Makes sense to eliminate other "senses" when experiencing food, right?
