We eat seafood a couple times a week, and I have been getting pretty darn bored of our normal rotators (salmon, shrimp, tuna.) It has been years since I have had rainbow trout and I recently reintroduced myself to it. I couldn’t find it at my usual grocery stores, and had to seek it out at a specialty fish shop. But I am so glad I did! It’s definitely worth the extra trip!
I have been testing out some new trout recipes the past couple of weeks like my Pan Seared Trout with Lemon Dill Sauce and have been loving how delicious and versatile this fish is.
The Trout Lettuce and Tomato sandwich is a new twist on a classic. Golden, pan-fried fillets are stacked on ciabatta rolls with roasted tomatoes and greens. It is then dressed with a roasted garlic and rosemary mayonnaise which takes it to an entirely new level! There’s just something about a really good sandwich that just hits the spot like nothing else!
Start by making the mayo so it has time for the flavors to marry while you work on the other steps.
Here’s what you need for the mayo:
Yes that is an entire bulb of roasted garlic going into this sauce. I don’t mess around. I love roasting garlic this way. It as an easy way to add so much incredible flavor to foods. I love smearing it on crusty bread or folding into mashed potatoes.
How to make roasted garlic mayo:
Start by slicing off the top third of the garlic bulb, exposing the tops of all of the cloves. Place it on a sheet of foil and drizzle it well with olive oil.
Loosely close the foil around the bulb and roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. It will be soft and caramelized and just lovely. Allow it to cool a bit before handling.
Pluck out the cloves and place them in a bowl with the rosemary.
Smash it into a paste with the back of a fork.
Finally stir in the mayo, salt and fresh lemon juice. Place in the fridge while you do the other steps.
Here’s what you need to cook the trout:
Whisk together the flour and salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Pat both sides of the fillets dry with paper towels them dredge them in flour mixture. Shake off any excess before going into the oil.
The oil needs to be a quarter-inch deep and hot before adding the fillets.
Measure the temperature with a candy thermometer and make sure it’s between 325 and 350 degrees to ensure a crisp, golden crust. I also recommend waiting to flip the first fillet before adding the second, so the temperature of the both fish doesn’t bring down the temperature of the oil too much.
Fry skin-side down first. They will cook the longest on this side, about 4 minutes. Then flip and fry for only a minute or so more. Just long enough to become nice and golden brown.
Here’s what you need for the sandwiches:
This next step is optional, but I love roasting my tomato slices before adding them to sandwiches. They caramelize and become nice and sweet. Plus it makes them softer and easier to eat on a sandwich.
To roast them, place the slices on a pan sprayed with cooking spray to prevent them from sticking. Drizzle each slice with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt. Roast them in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes.
Keep the oven on and toast the ciabatta roll halves for a couple minutes, them smear the roasted garlic, rosemary mayo on each half. Cut the pan fried fillets in half and stack them onto the rolls then add the tomato slices and your favorite greens!
Other recipes to try:
Crispy Trout, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 ciabatta rolls
- 2 rainbow trout filets
- 1 cup flour all purpose
- 1 teaspoon salt plus extra to season the tomato slices
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil for pan-frying
- 1 medium tomato cut into 4 slices
- olive oil for roasting the tomato
- greens such as arugula or spinach
- 2 tablespoons roasted garlic, rosemary mayo recipe below
Roasted Garlic, Rosemary Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- olive oil for roasting the garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from about a half lemon
Instructions
Make the Roasted Garlic, Rosemary Mayo
- Slice the whole garlic bulb horizontally, about a third of the way from the top to expose the tops of the cloves. Place the bulb on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle the entire top with olive oil. Enclose the bulb fully in the foil, leaving the slightest opening at the top. Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool a few minutes before handling.Use a fork to pluck out the individual garlic cloves and place them in a bowl. Use the back of the fork to smash them into a paste, then add the fresh rosemary, salt, black pepper, mayo and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Pan-Fry the Trout
- Pour the vegetable oil into a large skillet. It should come up to about a quarter of an inch. Heat the oil until very hot, about 325-350 degrees.In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the flour and salt. Use paper towels to pat dry both sides of the trout. Dredge the filets in the flour and shake off excess. Carefully place the filets into the hot oil, skin side down first and fry for 4 minutes. Flip over and fry for 1 to 2 more minutes. Place on a wire wrack while you assemble the sandwiches.
For the sandwiches
- Place the tomato slices on an oven-proof pan, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Place them in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes caramelize. Split the ciabatta rolls and toast them for just a couple minutes in the oven or on a skillet. Spread the roasted garlic and rosemary mayo on both halves of each roll. Slice the pan fried trout filet in half and stack the two halves onto each sandwich. Top with the roasted tomato, greens and the top half of ciabatta.