Now, I'm notorious for not following recipes, taking two or three different ideas and combining them into my own vision, but the wonderful simplicity of this recipe made any tweaking unnecessary. So, in this rare instance, I followed the recipe step for step, ingredient by ingredient, and would make it again in a heartbeat.
The recipe is listed below:
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces thin green beans or haricots verts
3/4 cup cornmeal
8 3-ounce trout fillets, pin bones removed
1/2 cup half-and-half
Directions
Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon tarragon and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place the green beans in a large microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
Put the cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal, shaking off the excess. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the fish and cook until golden, turning once, about 5 minutes. (Add more butter between batches, if needed.) Transfer the fish to plates.
Return the sauce to medium heat. Add the half-and-half, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon tarragon and 1/2 tablespoon butter and season with salt. Serve the fish with the green beans and top with the sauce.
* This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine *