Langostino-Trout with Butter Garlic Pepper Pasta

There are times, especially during this pandemic, I've found myself perfectly comfortable just staying at home, for long stretches of time.  As much as I love grocery shopping, that's also been excluded and I've been challenged to create interesting dishes with what I have on hand.

Having just come home a week ago from 10 days in Arizona, with a 400 mile road trip on either end getting to, and bringing my dogs home from, the dog sitter, I have yet to shop, and don't want to for another couple days. It's fun to see what can be created with just things on hand I wouldn't normally put together.

I had that amazing Minnesota Lake Trout yesterday, and I knew I had Langostino in the freezer.  My first instinct would be to make these into a chowder, but I don't have cream or celery, so that option's out.

Lately I've been craving Angel Hair Pasta, so I've decided to run with that for another one-of-a-kind, empty-the-pantry-and-'fridge inspired dish.

1/2 lg. Vidalia onion
6 big cloves of garlic
2 med. carrots
2-4T single source EVOO
1/2c mild & 1/2c hot Ajvar sauce
1/2-1c water
meat from one cooked trout

12-20oz. frozen langostino thawed
2-5T butter
1/2c chopped onion
Old Bay Seasoning

1/4c drained-rinsed capers
10oz. jar mushrooms - drained
2/3c sliced kalamata olives
1-2T fresh chopped dill
juice of 1 lemon
2T lobster flavor Better Than Bouillon
smokey salt  and chipotle seasoning

Chop the onion, garlic and carrots and sauté in the olive oil until slightly brown and the onion is translucent.  Add the Ajvar and water.  Simmer this, covered, for half an hour then add the meat of the trout.  Meanwhile, sauté the langostino in a little of the butter, over medium-high heat. As it simmers, drain off the liquid into the pot of fish sauce.  Add more butter and increase the heat, cooking until the pan is almost dry and the langostino are nicely browned.

Combine these now, with the sauce, over low heat. Bring this to a low simmer and add the last group of ingredients, simmering an additional 5 minutes.  Serve over angel hair, spaghetti or linguini pasta. . .Lin

Trout From A Neighbor

My across-the-street neighbor, Andy, texted and asked if I'd like a couple trout that had been cleaned and ready to bake.  Well, hey. . .does the Pope live in Rome?  Do big bears. . .  Yes, please and thank you!  His next door neighbor Greg caught these a day or so ago.  

I wasn't sure exactly what to do with these, so I took the lemon and dill Andy brought over with the fish and started by making a sauce for serving. Equal parts of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt to start. Lemon zest and a couple tablespoons of juice, lots of dill, parsley, finely chopped fresh onion and garlic, seasoned salt and lots of finely ground black pepper. I quick checked a recipe online, for timing information, then just did what I do best. . .I winged it.

The two trout I was given weighed 1.25# Here's what I did. Drizzle the fish inside and out, with EVOO and fresh lemon juice. Inside, put lemon slices and sprigs of fresh dill. Season with a good blend of fresh ground seasoning salt, and fresh ground black pepper, adding more lemon and dill to the skin side. Bake covered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes, or until the skin pulls away easily and the fish flakes when you touch it with a fork. Serve with rice pilaf, baked potato and vegetables or just sauté some while the fish cooks. Tomorrow I'll have the other one with steamed green beans.

Mmmmm, this was SO good! It's so nice to have fresh caught, garden-grown, gathered, or hunted food from the wild. . .Lin