Trout Filets with Hot Buttered Champagne Sauce and Vegetables

4 servings

Ingredients

For the Champagne sauce:
4 shallots, minced
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup Champagne
1 cup unsalted chilled butter, cut in pieces
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

For the vegetables:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh, cleaned vegetables (broccoli, carrots, baby potatoes, etc.), chopped
½ cup Champagne
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sugar

For the fish:
1 pound trout or salmon filets
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

For the sauce:
Place shallots, vinegar and wine in a heavy skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook vigorously to reduce the liquid by half, then lower heat and continue to reduce until almost evaporated. Beat in butter quickly to make a smooth sauce. Season with kosher salt and white pepper to taste. Makes about 1 cup.

For the vegetables:
Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the vegetables and add them to the pan, then sauté for 2 minutes. Add the Champagne to the hot pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Add one tablespoon of water and cook for 3-5 minutes until reduced. Season with salt, sugar, thyme leaves, and pepper. Stir, then cook for 2 more minutes or until crisp-tender, and set aside.

[Chef’s Note: Deglazing is simply the process of using a hot liquid to remove the browned bits (known as fond in French) from the bottom of the cooking pan, and using the resulting liquid as the foundation for a sauce or to bring the caramelization back into the food.]

For the fish:
In a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the fish filets and cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.

Service

Transfer the fish to a warmed plate or serving platter and arrange the vegetables around it. Top the fish with the Champagne sauce and serve immediately.

[Chef’s Note: You may also choose to pass the sauce into a heated serving dish or gravy boat, and sauce the fish at the table to taste.]

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