Pan-Fried Trout with Lemon Thyme Butter

Step 1

Pat dry fillets thoroughly with paper towel. Salt and pepper on all side.

Step 2

In a large skillet (I use non-stick), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add the fillets skin-side down. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 5 minutes. Then flip each fillet and continue to cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove onto a plate skin-side up and loosely cover with a foil, while prepare the sauce. Don’t cover the fillets tightly, or the crispy skin will get soggy.

Step 3

To make the sauce, add lemon juice, thyme and salt in a medium skillet. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and cook until it until reduced in half. Remove thyme, reduce the heat to low and add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Swirl the pan to slowly melt the butter before adding the remaining butter. The trick is to slowly melt the butter to get the silky sauce, instead of melted butter. You can pick up the skillet, hovering it over the heat and swirling it to melt the butter.

Step 4

Serve the trout with side of rice, or vegetables of your choice, and lemon butter sauce on the side.