German Brown Butter Trout with Rice

About This Recipe

Forelle Müllerin (trout in the miller's style) is a classic German preparation where a whole trout is dredged in flour and pan-fried, then finished with a spoonful of butter cooked until it turns golden-brown and smells nutty. Rice isn't the traditional starch (boiled potatoes usually are), but it works well here as an easy, absorbent base for the browned butter sauce. Getting the butter right is the whole dish: melted too briefly and it stays pale and mild, melted too long and the milk solids burn and turn bitter. The right point is a deep amber color and a fragrance somewhere between toasted hazelnuts and caramel, reached right as the foam subsides. A squeeze of lemon juice added at that exact moment stops the cooking and brightens the richness. This is a simple, technique-driven Sunday dinner, built on getting one step, the butter, exactly right.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4whole trout fillets(skin-on)
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour(for dredging)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 8 tbspunsalted butter
• 2 tbsplemon juice
• 2 tbspparsley(chopped)
• 3 cupscooked white rice(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Dredge the trout

   Season trout fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess.

2. 2

   Sear the fish

   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear trout skin-side down 4 minutes until crisp, flip, and cook 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate.

3. 3

   Brown the butter

   Wipe out the skillet, add butter, and cook over medium heat until it foams, then turns a deep amber color and smells nutty, about 4-5 minutes.

4. 4

   Finish the sauce

   Remove from heat immediately and stir in lemon juice and parsley; the butter will bubble vigorously for a moment.

5. 5

   Serve

   Plate the trout over rice and spoon the brown butter sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Swap trout for sole or another delicate white fish for a similar effect.

• •

  Add capers to the brown butter for a briny contrast, a common addition in German and Austrian kitchens.

• •

  Serve over boiled potatoes instead of rice for the more traditional accompaniment.

Storage

Best eaten immediately since the fish and browned butter both lose their texture and aroma on reheating. If needed, refrigerate up to 1 day and reheat gently in a low oven.

Frequently Asked Questions