LEMON TROUT

Ingredients

• 4 trout or salmon fillets, about 1/2 lb. each

Steaming liquid: Traditional Court Bouillon

• 2 quarts water
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1/2 med head lettuce
• 2 carrots
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 leeks - white part only
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill seed
• 1 lemon thinly sliced with seeds removed

Sauce: Lemon - Parsley sauce

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions 

Place the water, wine and tarragon vinegar in a 5-6 quart pot. Chop lettuce, celery and carrots into 1-2 inch pieces. Add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth and cool. Put 1-2 cups of bouillon in the steamer. (The remainder may be stored in the freezer in useable 1-2 cup portions). Place the four fillets on a rack and steam for 10 minutes. Begin preparation of the sauce. In a small saucepan, gradually blend cornstarch into water. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add parsley and butter, stirring until butter is melted. When the fillets are done - they flake easily when tested with a fork - remove to a serving platter. Pour the sauce generously over the fillets and serve.

[Court Bouillon is from a recipe in "Too Busy to Cook?", Bon Appetit, Knapp Press, 1981; Lemon- parsley sauce is from a recipe in "Cleaning and Cooking Fish", Bashline, Golden Press, 1992.]