Panko crusted trout with mushroom spinach cream sauce

With the suggestion of my co-worker, today we are preparing panko crusted trout with a mushroom spinach cream sauce. This is a basic recipe that comes together very easily. The fish can be substituted for another, just keep it fresh! This is yet another simple but tasty recipe.

Panko crusted trout with mushroom spinach cream sauce

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 filets trout

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs, whisked

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 cup panko

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

4 oz button mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. To make the sauce, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic. When the liquid from the mushrooms has almost all evaporated, add the spinach and saute for 1 minute. Add the cream, cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring a low simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. You can make this sauce ahead of time and just reheat it before serving. 
3. To prepare the fish, have the flour in one tray, eggs in another, and panko mixed with cayenne pepper in the third. Dredge the fish with flour on both sides, dusting off the excess. Next, coat with the whisked eggs on both sides, making sure to get every crevice. Finally, cover the fish with the breadcrumbs. Lay on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining filets. 
4. Bake the fish in the oven for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Serve with the sauce. 

Nutritional Analysis:
per serving: 396 calories, 30g fat (15.8g saturated, 2.4g polyunsaturated, 9.6g monounsaturated), 10.3g carbohydrates, 1.0g fiber, 22.5g protein

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

For this recipe I used rainbow trout, also known as a salmon trout. This fresh water fish has a mild, almost nutty flavor and has very tender skin. Other options include tilapia, cod, snapper, or even salmon. 

 

If you purchase your fish as I did above, make sure to filet them properly. Remove the head, gills, and tail. There are small bones in the flesh, but they are so small it is unnecessary to remove them. You are looking at 20 lbs of fish down below!

When breading your filets, use one hand to dredge in flour and the other to dip in the egg and coat with the breadcrumbs. It is less messy than using one hand for all three steps. 

This sauce is very easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time. Mushrooms have a lot of water so make sure to evaporate as much of the liquid as you can (you will still have some left which is fine). Season the sauce and taste accordingly! Also, keep an eye on your sauce because if its begins to boil, it will bubble over and create a mess on your stove. Keep your heat on low and when it begins to simmer, it's ready. 

This dish was surprisingly not as heavy as you would expect. A little bit of sauce goes a long way so make sure not to drench your fish with the sauce. The cayenne pepper brings a little bit of heat to offset the creaminess of the sauce. The panko coated very nicely to the fish making it have a crispy exterior, but with soft flesh. Overall, a success!