Pan-Fried Trout with Brown Butter Beurre Blanc

The 1st September is International Cap Classique Day. And what better than celebrating with La Motte MCC. Both wine, and bottle, are in indeed, exceptional. The bubbles are delicate and fine with a distinctive apple-fruit character supported by creamy yeasted, biscuity flavours.  Although dry, it’s natural perceived sweetness emanates from the lengthy ageing process. Apart from this Pan-Fried Trout with Brown Butter Beurre Blanc, La Motte MCC pairs especially well with soft cheeses, oysters and crayfish, eggs in all its guises, line fish, carpaccio, poultry, pork and veal. Pure elegance and sophistication.

Champagne versus Sparkling Wine

The only wines that may be labelled “Champagne” must be produced and bottled within 100 miles of the Champagne region in France, using Pinot Noir or Chardonnay grapes. Methodé Cap Classique is the name given to the traditional method (that of Champagne) to produce sparkling wines in South Africa.

Lily Bollinger had this to say about champagne “I only drink champagne when I’m happy, and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty.”

While our focus is on the trout, which in and of itself is quite perfect unsupported, just pan-fried in olive oil, seasoned with salt, black pepper and fresh lemon juice. But, there’s something to be said of a good sauce, more especially, this brown butter beurre blanc. It’s somewhat unconventional but utterly spectacular, the nutty undertones, supporting the biscuit notes of La Motte’s MCC to perfection.

I serve the trout with blanched green beans, which are then blistered in a hot pan for all of 2 minutes, and tossed with bright edamame’s, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, pea shoots and toasted almond flakes. It’s hardly a recipe but so lovely with the trout I thought I had to include here.

For textural contrast, and flavour, a generous scattering of zesty pangrattato adds a lovely crunchy element. I make it almost weekly, using it for salad toppings and pasta dishes. The recipe is from my cookbook, More Good Food, but I’ll add it here should you decide to include it for the trout. It’s not essential to the success of this recipe but so worth the trouble. With spring, and International Cap Classique Day just days away, I do hope you’ll celebrate with a chilled glass of La Motte MCC and this gorgeous pan-fried trout.

Pan-Fried Trout with Brown Butter Beurre Blanc

Serves 4

Brown Butter Beurre Blanc

60 g butter
125 ml (1/2 cup) La Motte MCC
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig flat leaf parsley
10 peppercorns
1 slither lemon peel
180 ml (3/4 cup) fresh cream
sea salt flakes, to taste

15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
4  skin-on trout fillets
a small bunch of chives, finely chopped, to finish
pangrattato, to finish
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the butter in a small saucepan, over a medium heat. Once melted, turn the heat up and let it splutter away until nutty and golden colour. Pour the browned butter into a bowl and set aside.

To the same pan, add the La Motte MCC, thyme, parsley and peppercorns. Bring the liquid up to the boil over a medium heat and reduce until you’re left with about 30 ml. Add the cream, return to a boil and reduce until slightly thickened, about 8-10 minutes.

Whisk in the brown butter and season cautiously with salt. Pour the sauce through a fine strainer, discarding the solids. Place a sheet of clingfilm directly onto the sauce to prevent a skin forming.

Heat 15 ml olive oil in a wide based pan. Season the trout lightly on one side only (flesh side), with salt and black pepper.

Lay the trout in the pan, skin side down. Cook, without turning, until the skin is golden and crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Turn carefully and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the fish to a plate.

When ready to serve, spoon about 50 ml of beurre blanc onto each plate. Arrange the beans on the plate and lay the fish on top.  Scatter with pangratto and chives.

Simple Pangrattato

30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil
150 g (2 cups) day-old breadcrumbs (sourdough or ciabatta)
zest of 1 lemon
several sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 sprig rosemary, leaves finely chopped
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

For the pangrattato, heat the oil in a wide based pan. Add the breadcrumbs and toast over a medium heat until golden, 12-15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and toast for another minute or two. Set aside to cool and crisp up.