Recipes Included On This Page Trout Spanakopita with Avocado and Salmon Roe Use Your Browser's "Back" Button to Return to This Recipe List
	* Exported from MasterCook * Trout Spanakopita with Avocado and Salmon Roe Recipe By : Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Volume 10-12 Dec 2007 Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 pounds spinach -- washed and large stems removed 1 fennel bulb 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion -- finely chopped 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic -- (about 2 cloves) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 2 scallions -- minced 1 teaspoon ouzo -- or raki (optional) 1/2 cup feta 1 egg 1/2 cup Greek-style or plain whole-milk yogurt 4 Idaho rainbow trout -- boned but left whole [each should weigh 6 to 8 ounces] 2 avocados -- peeled, halved and scooped out 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice [about 1/2 lemon] 1 cup flour -- for dusting 2 tablespoons brown butter 4 teaspoons caviar -- or salmon roe 1. Prepare a medium mixing bowl with ice water. 2. In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to taste. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the spinach into a colander and then set it in a bowl of ice water to shock and cool it quickly. 3. Drain the spinach into the colander again and squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands. Squeezing small amounts at a time works best. Roughly chop the spinach and set aside. 4. Trim off the long fennel fronds and remove the tough outer layer. Cut the fennel into quarters and remove the core. Slice the fennel lengthwise and then chop it into to a fine dice. 5. In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion and fennel. Cook for about 4 minutes on low-medium heat, until the onion is translucent. Stir in 3/4 of the garlic and all of the spinach; cook for 5 minutes more. 6. Place this mixture in a medium mixing bowl and stir in the dill, scallions and ouzo. 7. Using a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, purée the feta, egg, and 1/4 cup of the yogurt. Stir this into the spinach mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. 8. Remove the head from the de-boned trout and lay them open with the tails toward you, on a work surface. Season each fillet with salt and pepper. 9. On the top half of each fillet, spread 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture. Fold the fillets in half, forming rectangles. Set aside. 10. Using a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, purée the avocados with the remaining garlic and yogurt, the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. 11. Preheat the oven to 350F. 12. In a medium skillet, over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Lightly dredge the trout fillets in flour and shake off any excess. Brown the trout in the skillet for about 4 minutes on each side. You can probably fit two fillets at a time in the skillet. 13. Place the trout in the oven for another 5 to 6 minutes to cook through and to assure that the spinach mixture is hot. The trout should be crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. 14. Drizzle the trout with brown butter and serve them with the avocado purée, dotted with caviar. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4. This dish is a fun, modern twist on two classic Greek mezze: spanakopita and taramasalata. Spanakopita means "spinach pie" in Greek and instead of phyllo filled with the traditional spinach and feta cheese, I like to fill rainbow trout with a creamy spinach mixture, seasoned with plenty of fresh dill. Crisping the trout skin as much as possible mimics the crisp and flaky pastry used in traditional spanakopita. Taramasalata is a potato purée with carp roe that is smeared on pita bread and eaten before a meal. I like to make the purée with avocado and stud it with little pink salmon eggs. Each one bursts a little sea salt into a mouthful of creamy, rich avocado. Serve this dish with a glass of medium-bodied Italian Valpolicella. Contributed to the FareShare Gazette by Chupa; 15 December 2007. www.fareshare.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 567 Calories; 39g Fat (58.5% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 84mg Cholesterol; 320mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 7 Fat.

Disclaimer: The operators of the FareShare Website are not responsible for the content or practice of any website to which we link for your convenience.