into the woods

I love this time of year. Warm and balmy days give way to clearer, crisper temps–there’s a delicious chill in the air. Looking forward to cuddling up in my favorite sweater, leaves crunching beneath my feet, smelling the smoke of a crackling fire. And along with this change in the weather, comes a change in my hankerings. I crave the flavors of fall: woodsy, earthy, and rich. This dish satisfies those yens and more. Though delicate, trout has an earthy quality which interplays beautifully with other autumn evoking ingredients. Here, I’ve topped it with woodsy shiitake mushrooms, crispy pancetta dice, and the grassy hit of fresh parsley. Roasted buttercup squash, subtly sweet and spiced with curry, makes a perfect pairing with the fish. An elegant plate that’s tantalizing in every way. Can’t you feel the change? Bring on the fall.

Pancetta Seared Trout with Shiitake Mushrooms and
Curried Buttercup Squash Mash

What a perfectly balanced dish this is. Make no mistake about it–this dish is restaurant-worthy right out of your own kitchen. The flavors are complex, but the preparation is not.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Buttercup squash is similar to butternut squash, but its flesh is a little more tender and sweet. 

To counterbalance that sweetness, I’ve added just a hint of curry. Prepare the squash by first cutting it in half through the stem–you will want to use a large chef’s knife or cleaver for this task.

Use a large spoon to scoop out all the seeds and loose pulp in the center. Usually I love to repurpose the seeds for a delicious snack or garnish, but these are a bit thick and inedible.

Place the squash halves cut side down on an aluminum lined pan and put the pan in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and turn the squash halves over. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to each half and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Curry powder can be strong and I only wanted a hint of its aromatic quality in this dish–feel free to add more if you prefer. Sprinkle curry over both halves of squash and place  pan back in oven to continue roasting for another 15 minutes.

Use lots of fresh parsley–it adds a wonderful herbaceous quality to the dish. Remove the parsley leaves from their stems and finely chop.

Over a medium low flame, heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat until shimmering; add the diced pancetta. Raise the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until nicely browned on all sides.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on paper towel.

Add the minced shallot to the pan and sauté, stirring, until translucent and slightly golden.

Season the trout fillets with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and dredge lightly in flour. Nestle the fillets, skin side down, in the pan along with the shallots. Sauté over medium low heat for about 3 or 4 minutes.

In a medium skillet over medium low heat, melt a couple of teaspoons each of butter and olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and leave them to sauté. Mushrooms will exude less juice and take on more flavor if they are mostly left alone; shake the pan once or twice just to even them out in the pan as they cook.

After 3 or 4 minutes, flip the mushrooms in the pan and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let them sauté for another 3 or 4 minutes, until golden brown.

Turn the fish fillets over and let them sauté for another 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully flip the fish back to skin side down. To finish, add a couple of teaspoons of butter to the pan. While the butter melts, top the fish with the mushroom slices. Turn off the heat.

Remove the squash from the oven and let cool slightly. Scoop the flesh from the two halves and place in a mixing bowl, making sure to capture all the melted butter. 

Use a potato masher to mash the squash and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkle the pancetta over the fish and garnish with the minced parsley leaves. Drizzle fresh lemon juice over all.

A perfect fall accompaniment to this dish is beautiful white asparagus, which has been peeled, steamed, napped with brown butter and sprinkled with sea salt.

To plate the dish, place a mound of the buttercup squash mash on one side. Drape the trout fillets on top, spooning over pan juices and garnishing with pancetta and slices of shiitake. Serve with the asparagus spears and a chilled glass of crisp white wine. Enjoy!

Serves 2:

Buttercup Squash Mash:

1 medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (or more to taste)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pancetta Seared Trout:

olive oil

1/4 pound chunk of pancetta
1 large shallot
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons parsley leaves
unsalted butter
1 pound trout fillets
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
freshly squeezed lemon juice

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