Snowbird Mountain Lodge

Robbinsville, North Carolina

Specialty Recipe

Sauteed Trout with
Herbed Breadcrumbs

This entree is by far the most popular dish served at the lodge and I have had more requests for this recipe than any other. Serve the trout with citrus Beurre Blanc sauce, roasted red potatoes and steamed asparagus for one fabulous meal. Note: Any type of white, mildly-flavored fish that you prefer to use, as long as it is fresh, will work very well with this preparation.

Ingredients

4 to 6 boneless trout filets with skin on one side

2 large eggs

Dash of water

2 cups all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Clarified butter or vegetable oil to saute with

Breadcrumbs:

1 slightly stale French loaf, cut into cubes

2 cups of fresh herbs (any combination of basil, thyme, chives, oregano or parsley that may be in your garden)

1 cup of fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried

In the bowl of a food processor combine the bread, herbs and spinach and process until you have chunky breadcrumbs -- you do not want powdery breadcrumbs. You may have to process the bread and herbs in batches if the bowl or processor will not accommodate all the ingredients at once. Spread the breadcrumbs out in a long roasting pan and set aside.

To bread the trout: Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl large enough to accommodate the filets and add a dash of water to thin the eggs -- this is called an egg wash. In a separate shallow bowl large enough to accommodate the filets, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Bread the filets by dredging them in the flour first (shake off excess flour), dipping them in the egg wash, and then dredging them in the breadcrumbs and pressing the breadcrumbs into the filet to ensure a good coating.

To saute the trout: In a large saucepan placed over medium-high heat, heat the butter or oil. Test the oil to see if it is ready to saute in by tossing in a breadcrumb - if the breadcrumb bubbles and jumps, the oil is ready, but if the breadcrumb sits still, the oil needs to get hotter. When the oil is ready place the filets in the pan, flesh side down, and saute until golden brown. Turn the trout over and place the saute pan in a 350-degree oven to finish cooking, about 7 to 10 minutes.

• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com)