Blackened Trout with Escovitch Recipe

Blackened Trout with Escovitch

• Difficulty: Easy
• Servings: 4 servings
• Nutritional Information Per Serving:
  • Calories: 532
  • Total Fat: 26 g
  • Saturated Fat: 11 g
  • Carbohydrates: 24 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 6 g
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Protein: 48 g
  • Cholesterol: 164 mg
  • Sodium: 1242 mg
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Active Time: 40 minutes

This Caribbean-inspired dish is light yet bursting with vibrant flavors. Instead of frying, I prefer to coat the trout with a homemade blackening spice blend and finish it with tangy pickled peppers, carrots, and onions on top.

Escovitch Ingredients:

• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Caribbean all-purpose seasoning
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice (pimento berries)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1/2 lime (approximately 4 teaspoons)
• 2 carrots, julienned (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned (around 1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned (about 1 cup)
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, halved and seeded

Trout Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 trout fillets (about 2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Prepare the escovitch: In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, all-purpose Caribbean seasoning, sugar, allspice, salt, thyme sprigs, garlic, lime juice, and 1/3 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar and salt fully dissolve.
2. Add the julienned carrots, sliced onion, bell peppers, and Scotch bonnet pepper. Cook the vegetables until they soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. (Remove the Scotch bonnet pepper before serving to reduce heat.)
3. Season the trout: In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper to create the blackening seasoning.
4. Coat each trout fillet thoroughly with the blackening spice blend.
5. Heat half of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke slightly.
6. Cook two trout fillets in the skillet, searing each side for about 3 minutes until browned and the flesh flakes easily. Repeat the process with the remaining butter and fillets.
7. Before serving, generously spoon the escovitch vegetable mixture over the blackened trout.

If you prefer a less spicy escovitch, serve the dish immediately or drain the pickling liquid if preparing ahead of time.