On a recent trip to the Catskills, I visited the towns of Roscoe and Livingston Manor with my friend Kelly, her husband, and my son Luke. Roscoe is known as Trout Town USA and the whole area is a haven for anglers, with five of America’s top trout streams nearby. In fact, the area is known as the birthplace of American dry-fly fishing, or an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. Both the Beaverkill River and Willowmec Creek are considered ground zero for anyone interested in trying out this challenging form of fishing, which essentially requires a great deal of concentration and skill.
We headed to Main Street Farm in Livingston Manor, a local market and café that sells artisanal local crafted Catskill’s products including honey, fresh eggs, locally made apple cider vinegar, and many other items including fresh smoked trout. I read about the famous Beaverkill sandwich sold at the market made with fresh trout, organic lettuce and tomato on ciabatta bread and Kelly ordered it so we could all try it out. None of us had ever really had smoked trout before and it was really delicious. Because Kelly loves to try different things and wanted to see if she could recreate the delicious sandwich at home, she picked up a few fresh whole trout and one smoked trout. Back at home she had her husband smoke the fresh trout and went ahead and made a salad that sounded too wonderful not to try.
But where could I find trout as fresh as what we had in Livingston Manor? I had read about a business in Baltimore, Neopol, known for smoked fish for a few years and knew they opened a business in Washington’s Union Market, so my mom, kids and I headed that way to see if we could find it. Sure enough they had the smoked trout, and it was perfect! You simply need to flake the fish and voila – you have a wonderful lunch or dinner that is simple and as Kelly noted “divine” to enjoy!
Here is the recipe for Kelly’s trout salad! Enjoy!
Ingredients
Two smoked rainbow trout filets (available to order online from Neopol Smokery)
1 bunch of arugula
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 8 oz. chunk of feta cheese
1 French baguette, sliced into rounds
2 tbsps. white wine vinegar
2 tbsps. lemon juice
½ tsp. honey
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1. For the vinaigrette, mix the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk. Add olive oil and blend with the whisk. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed.
2. Take the sliced French bread rounds and place on a cookie sheet with a few drops of olive oil on each and toast in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes. Each round should be brown and slightly crispy.
3. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, cherry tomatoes, and flaked smoked rainbow trout. Add the white wine vinaigrette and toss. Carefully add the chunks of feta cheese and toss together without breaking up the pieces along with the toasted French bread rounds. Serve immediately!
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