Butterflied Trout with Spicy Lettuce, Celery, and Herbs

Name: Butterflied Trout with Spicy Lettuce, Celery, and Herbs
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 jalapeño, with seeds, very finely chopped; 1 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest; 1 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest; 1 Kosher salt; 1 1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings; 1 1/4 cup fresh orange juice; 1 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam); 1 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 Freshly ground black pepper; 1 2 (14–16-ounce) whole butterflied rainbow trout; 1 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 4 Little Gem, butter lettuce, or romaine hearts, leaves separated; 1 2 celery stalks, preferably with leaves, leaves reserved, stalks thinly sliced on a diagonal; 1 1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems; 1 1/2 cup mint leaves

From the kitchen of Carly

Butterflied trout, skin crackling and golden, meets a bright Southeast Asian dressing of jalapeño, citrus, and fish sauce. The crisp lettuce and celery soak up every spicy, tangy drop. Clean, simple, absolutely worth the five minutes it takes.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

11/2 jalapeño, with seeds, very finely chopped
11 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
11 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1Kosher salt
11 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
11/4 cup fresh orange juice
13 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
11 tablespoon soy sauce
1Freshly ground black pepper
12 (14–16-ounce) whole butterflied rainbow trout
12 tablespoons vegetable oil
14 Little Gem, butter lettuce, or romaine hearts, leaves separated
12 celery stalks, preferably with leaves, leaves reserved, stalks thinly sliced on a diagonal
11 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
11/2 cup mint leaves

Instructions

Using the side of a chef's knife, mash jalapeño, lime zest, and orange zest with a pinch of salt on a cutting board to a paste. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in shallot, orange juice, lime juice, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Season trout with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook 1 trout, skin side down, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes (flesh will be nearly cooked through). Remove from heat, turn fish, and let sit until cooked through, about 1 minute more. Transfer trout to a platter. Wipe out skillet; repeat with remaining trout and 1 tablespoon oil.
Toss lettuce, celery, celery leaves (if using), cilantro, mint, and 3 tablespoons dressing in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Top trout with salad and spoon remaining dressing over.