RECIPE: Make Brick Store Pub’s Pan Seared Trout Fillet with Spaghetti Squash, Apples and Arugula
The Brick Store Pub serves the most incredible trout with spaghetti squash. The trout is crisp but not dry and the spaghetti squash has apples, onions and almonds in the most amazing broth/sauce. I’d love to get the recipe. — Ann Turnipseed, Decatur
Brick Store Pub’s chef Rian Tittle share this recipe which has several steps, but can work for the home chef as well as in the restaurant. He warns our readers that spaghetti squash has a very tough skin and is a very solid squash, so wants you to be careful when cutting into it. And his other tip is when you’re ready to add the apples to the hot skillet, be sure to dry the apples as much as you can as any residual water on the apple pieces will splatter when added to the hot oil.
The step of dicing the apples and putting them in a water bath with a small amount of lemon juice prevents the apples from browning as you’re working on the final assemble. And he recommends using a fish spatula to turn the trout. This is a very thin, long slotted spatula that makes it easier to turn large items like a fish fillet.
Our spaghetti squash was just over four pounds and yielded a pound and a half of cooked spaghetti squash strands making for four generous servings. In our photo, the trout is garnished with corn shoots.
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 leaves sage
- 2 tart apples
- Water, as needed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Vegetable or olive oil, enough to film the bottom of two skillets
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into matchstick pieces
- 2 minced cloves garlic
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 pound baby arugula
- 4 (4-ounce) rainbow trout fillets
- Salt and pepper
- Roasted Marcona almonds, for garnish
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Underneath each half, put 1 teaspoon butter and one sage leaf. Bake 30 to 45 minutes or until squash is tender and flesh separates into strands. Remove from oven and cool until you able to shred the squash. Set the shredded squash aside. Discard any liquid and the sage leaves.
- While the squash is cooking, peel, core and dice the apples and put in a small bowl. Cover with cold water mixed with lemon juice. Set aside.
- When ready to serve, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. The oil is ready when the surface ripples. Turn the heat down to medium, add onions and saute until almost transparent, about 3 minutes. Add reserved shredded spaghetti squash and stir together. Drain apples, discarding soaking liquid and patting the apples dry, and add to skillet. Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add garlic and cook 10 seconds. Add chicken stock and arugula and reduce heat to medium low. Continue cooking until mixture has reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon butter. Stir until butter is melted and incorporated into sauce. Keep warm.
- While sauce is reducing, prepare fish. Use a paper towel and pat trout fillets dry. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- In second large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Carefully arrange two fillets in hot oil, skin side down. Cook trout until golden brown at the edges, about 2 to 3 minutes. As it’s cooking, carefully lift edge of trout to be sure it’s browning but not burning. Use a fish spatula to carefully turn the fish and cook 1 minute more. Remove fillets to paper towels to drain, skin side up. Repeat with remaining fillets.
- Divide the spaghetti squash mixture between four serving bowls. Top with trout, skin side up, and garnish with almonds. Serves: 4
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 431 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 28 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 24 grams total fat (9 grams saturated), 101 milligrams cholesterol, 323 milligrams sodium.From the menu of . . . Brick Store Pub, 125 E. Court Square, Decatur; 404-687-0990; www.brickstorepub.com/
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
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