Casey's Pan-Seared Trout with Summer corn, Tomatoes, and Grapes

Casey's Pan-Seared Trout with Summer corn, Tomatoes, and Grapes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Four 6-to-8-ounce fillets lake or rainbow trout, sole, or tilapia, skin-on

3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Kernels cut from 1 ear sweet corn or 1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup green grapes, halved

1 shallot, minced

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 ripe red tomato, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

2 cups watercress sprigs

Directions:

In a large cast-iron or stainless skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium- high heat. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Add the fillets, skin side down, and cook until the flesh side begins to turn opaque, about 4 minutes. Flip over and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Clean the skillet with paper towels and place back over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons butter to melt. Add the corn, grapes, and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the wine and simmer for 1 minute more. Add the 1/4 cup tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
To assemble, season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. Drizzle the watercress with olive oil and season with salt. Lay a slice of tomato on each plate. Top with watercress, then fillets, then the grape-corn mixture. Drizzle with the pan sauce, then sprinkle tarragon on top.

Recipe taken from Top Chef: The Cookbook (or Top Chef: The Quickfire Cookbook), Copyright Bravo Media LLC/Published by Chronicle Books LLC.