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No Fish Story: Flay Fish Dish Recipe

It's said that fish is brain food, and researchers frequently agree.

Fish is also a staple during Lent, the period Christians observe between Ash Wednesday and Easter when eating meat is banned.

But preparing fish at home can be a little intimidating because there's not a lot of margin for error. If you make a mistake, it's easy to ruin the dish.

So The Early Show resident chef Bobby Flay served up a great fish recipe that you can't mess up.

It's a trout dish, and Flay told Russ Mitchell one of the great things about trout is that it cooks very quickly.

RECIPE

Cornmeal Crusted Trout with Roasted Asparagus Green Peppercorn

Serves 4

2 cups lobster stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 pound crawfish tails, chopped
1 bunch watercress leaves
1 cup AP flour
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (8-ounce) trout fillets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons canola oil

1. Place lobster stock and tomato paste in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced by half. Place the cream in a medium saucepan and reduce by half. Add the lobster stock to the heavy cream and stir to combine. Add the crawfish tails and watercress leaves, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, just to heat through.

2. Place the flour on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Place the eggs in a large bowl, add a few tablespoons of water and salt and pepper and whisk until combined.

3. Place the cornmeal on a large plate and season with salt and pepper.

4. Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 side of each fillet in the flour and tap off excess, then in the egg mixture and let extra drip off, then dredge in the cornmeal and tap off excess.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Place 2 of the fillets in the pan, cornmeal-side down and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes longer. Ladle some of the sauce onto the plate and top with the trout.

Roasted Asparagus with Green Peppercorn Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Green Peppercorn Vinaigrette

1 pound fresh asparagus
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons green peppercorns in brine, drained

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified and stir in the peppercorns. Let the vinaigrette sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Vinaigrette can be made up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated.

3. Place the asparagus on a platter and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top.

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