Andorra

Andorran Grilled Trout and Trinxat

Andy and I made this dish on Thursday, July 16th. The dishes themselves are rather simple after all of the chopping, cleaning and other prep. work is done. We began the dish at 4pm and were eating by 5:45. This meal was absolutely delicious. Of the dishes made so far, Andy says that this is his favorite. The trinxat dish had a subtle garlicky flavor from the garlic infused oil. The shallot butter sauce that is poured over the asparagus and fish is rich, but not overpoweringly so. The grapes add just the right amount of punch to temper out the vast quantity of butter. Through grilling the asparagus, the asparagus tips become caramelized and a little sweet. The fish is flaky and tantalizing. I would highly recommend this dish to anyone.

The original recipe for the fish actually comes from the Pittsburgh Gazette in a recipe contributed by a guy that grew up in Andorra. It calls for the fish to be grilled, but as neither Andy nor I have a grill at this time, I decided to broil the fish, thinking it would be the next closest thing. It also calls for the grapes to be peeled, but there was just no way we were going to take the time to complete that step. I would also recommend that you remove the bones before cooking the fish. Sorting through tiny fish bones as we ate detracted from the experience a bit.

In doing internet research on Andorran recipes, I learned that trinxat is a popular dish in Andorra, which is a tiny country situated between Spain and France. I then googled trinxat recipes and found this one from the Food Network. Upon further research, I found that more authentic recipes call for cabbage in place of the kale and chard, but I wanted to make the Food Network version. Also, the recipe calls for Swiss chard, but Kowalski's only had red chard, so I used that instead. I don't think that it made much of a difference in the final product.

Without further ado, here are the recipes as I made them:

Trinxat

Ingredients:
-1 large bunch kale, cleaned and shredded
-1 large bunch red chard, greens shredded, stems removed
-12 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
-3 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
-1/2 c. olive oil
-9 bacon slices, cut into 2" pieces
-1 head garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
1) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the kale and chard. Cook for 20 minutes.
2) Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until softened, about 20 more minutes.
3) Strain and reserve the vegetables.
4) Meanwhile, place the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep warm.
5) Add the garlic to the oil and remove from the heat to infuse the oil. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon after 20 minutes or so.
6) Add the strained vegetables to the pot of infused oil. Mash until thoroughly combined but still chunky.
7) To serve, mound the vegetables on a serving platter and garnish the top with the reserved bacon. Serve warm or room temperature.

Andorran Grilled Trout

Ingredients:-3 rainbow trout, about 3/4 lb. each, butterflied
-salt and freshly ground pepper
-1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 tsp. herbes de provence
-1 lb. green asparagus, ends trimmed
-1/2 c. minced shallots
-1 c. white wine
-1 tsp. white wine vinegar
-1/2 lb. (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
-1/2 T. butter
-20 green seedless grapes, cut in half
-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Preheat broiler.
2) Season both sides of each fish with salt and pepper. Generously brush on olive oil and marinate for a few minutes.
3) Mix 1/4 c. olive oil with herbes de provence. Toss with asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Broil asparagus 5" from heat until tender (10-12 minutes). Keep warm.
4) Place shallots in a saucepan; add wine and vinegar. Put saucepan over high heat and bring contents to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until almost all liquid is gone. Begin whisking in 1/2 lb. of butter, one piece at a time. Keep sauce at a low simmer, removing from heat as necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
5) Broil each trout 5" from the heat, skin side up for 3 minutes. Turn over fish and broil for 3 more minutes until just cooked through and opaque.
6) Meanwhile, melt 1/2 T. butter in a small pan over low heat and gently warm grapes.
7) Add grapes and lemon juice to shallot butter sauce; season with salt and pepper.
8) To serve, arrange trout and asparagus on plates, spoon on sauce.