A famous anecdote about Joel and Ethan Coen, the filmmakers, tells of a typical exchange between the two brothers on a movie set:
“Joel. ….”
Silence.
“I’ll tell him, Ethan.”
I don’t quite have that level of near-telepathic communication with my chefs de cuisine at Duo and Olivéa, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that both of them have been working with me for years and will create dishes in a common style which now needs very little direction or adjustment from me.
Erik Skaar, the talented second in command at Olivéa, showed me this dish, a perfect expression of the deep, earthy roasted flavors of fall. My only suggestions were to finish the vinaigrette with a little sage oil to bring out the flavor of the walnuts and to make a small salad of shaved raw golden beets to add a little vegetal lightness to the dish.
This recipe has a long list of ingredients and quite a few subrecipes, and if you’re not up to making all the individual components of the dish, try to make one or two of them. The farro pilaf is delicious by itself or with a poached egg; the walnut vinaigrette is great on a spinach salad or simply as a sauce for the shredded beets in the recipe.
Erik originally made this dish with barramundi, a farm-raised fish that usually comes from New Zealand and has a juicy white flesh and a delicious skin. If you can’t find Barramundi, farm-raised trout works just as well.
Trout With Farro, Beets and Walnut Vinaigrette Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely dicedSalt and pepper
1 cup uncooked farro
3 cups chicken stock
1 large golden beet
Walnut vinaigrette (recipe follows)Handful Italian parsley leaves, rinsed
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
4 trout fillets (4 ounces each), skin onHalf a lemon
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and stir. Sweat the onions until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the farro, stir well, and add the chicken stock and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook about 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the farro is al dente. Keep the farro covered in a warm place while you cook the trout and shred the beets.
Peel beet with a vegetable peeler, and rinse well. With a Japanese mandoline, cut the beet in a fine julienne. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the walnut vinaigrette, salt, pepper and parsley leaves. Set aside.
Over low, whisk together a tablespoon of butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
In a large sauté pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the trout with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin side down. Cook the fillets until the skin is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip the trout, add the remaining butter to the pan and squeeze lemon over the fish. Baste about 2 minutes. With a fish spatula, remove the trout fillets to a platter.
Divide the farro among four plates. (There might be a little extra for the table.) Spoon some of the Walnut Vinaigrette over the fish and top the fish fillets with some of the beet salad. Serve immediately.
Note: The raw beets will oxidize quickly once they’re shredded, so don’t prepare them more than an hour in advance.
Walnut Vinaigrette
This makes about 11/2 cups; you will have leftovers. You can find Piment d’Espelette, a ground pepper, at Savory Spice.
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch Piment d’Espelette
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sage oil (recipe follows)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Whisk together the nuts, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the canola oil, then the sage oil. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
Sage Oil
This makes about 1 cup; you will have leftovers.
Ingredients
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Handful sage leaves
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Pinch salt
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a small pot, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place the pot in the refrigerator until chilled. Strain and refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
Trout with Farro, Beets and Walnut Vinaigrette Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely dicedSalt
1 cup uncooked farro
3 cups chicken stock
1 large golden beet
Walnut vinaigrette (recipe follows)Handful Italian parsley leaves, rinsed
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
4 trout fillets (4 ounces each), skin onHalf a lemon
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and stir. Sweat the onions until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the farro , stir well, and add the chicken stock and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, coverand reduceheat to low. Cookabout 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the farro isal dente. Keep the farro covered in a warm place while you cook the trout and shred the beets.
Peel beet with a vegetable peeler, and rinse well. With a Japanese mandolin, cut the beet in a fine julienne. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the walnut vinaigrette, salt, pepper and parsley leaves. Set aside.
Over low, whisk together a tablespoon of butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
In a large sauté pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the trout with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin side down. Cook the fillets until the skin is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip the trout, add the remaining butter to the pan and squeeze lemon over the fish. Baste about two minutes. With a fish spatula, remove the trout fillets to a platter.
Divide the farro among four plates. (there might be a little extra for the table). Spoon some of the Walnut Vinaigrette over the fish and top the fish fillets with some of the beet salad. Serve immediately.
Note: The raw beets will oxidize quickly once they’re shredded , so don’t prepare them more than an hour in advance.
Walnut Vinaigrette
This makes about 11/2 cups; you will have leftovers. You can find Piment d’Espelette, a ground pepper, at Savory Spice.
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch Piment d’Espelette
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sage oil (recipe follows)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Whisk together the nuts, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the canola oil, then the sage oil. Refrigerate, covered until ready to use.
Sage Oil
This makes about 1 cup; you will have leftovers.
Ingredients
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Handful sage leaves
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Pinch salt
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a small pot, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Place the pot in the refrigerator until chilled. Strain and refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
