Bacon Wrapped Trout Fillets Sandwiched with Spinach
Instructions:
- The bacon strips will hold these trout fillets and their spinach filling together. Makes 4 servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces spinach, stemmed (if necessary), washed, and chopped (the water still adhering to the leaves)
- 1â„2 teaspoon salt
- 1â„2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1â„4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 11â„2 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs
- Four 6- to 8-ounce trout fillets
- 16 slices (about 12 ounces) thin-cut pork bacon, turkey bacon, or soy bacon
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- Place the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet, then set the pan over low heat. Heat the oil slowly, stirring often, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.
- Raise the heat to medium, count slowly to five, and add the spinach. Toss well, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until wilted, tossing once or twice, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Blot the fillets dry with paper towels, then cut each in half the short way. Lay 8 fillet halves skin side down on your work surface, then top each with a quarter of the stuffing (about 2 heaping tablespoons). Lay the other half of each fillet on top skin side up, thereby creating a trout sandwich.
- Wrap 2 strips of bacon around each little sandwich, winding the strips around the short way so as to seal the sandwich closed, overlapping the strips as need be.
- Set a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the trout fillets with the bacon seams down. Brown the bacon on one side, turn the fillet sandwiches over, and brown on the other side, about 7 minutes in all.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the bacon is crispy and the trout flakes when picked with a fork, about 5 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Drizzle 1â„2 teaspoon vinegar over each fillet before serving.
- Variations: Substitute chard, escarole, or finely chopped kale for the spinach. (The kale will need to cook a little longer, perhaps 4 minutes or so; add a little wine or vegetable broth to the pan if it dries out.) Stir 1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or hard, aged Gouda into the spinach after it wilts. Add up to 1â„2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the nutmeg.