Potlikker Glazed Trout with Fried Corn and Poached Beets

Here's a great dish for Sunday dinner that'll carry itself well for lunch on Monday. I wanted to introduce you to two of my favorite dishes, seared steelhead trout and fried corn. The potlikker jelly is a vehicle that elevates the flavor and excitement of the dish. Poached beets and green tomato relish add a fresh feel next to the fish and corn. Fried corn has a taste like no other. The smokiness from the fatback reminds me of a Sunday dinner in the summertime. There's a touch to making it so be patient and adjust the measurements if you see fit. Steelhead trout, available at most local markets is what salmon hopes to be. Firm, yet moist due to the lubricating fat throughout. This recipe is sure to make a convert out of you, especially once you see the price per lb. is on par with salmon. However, if trout is not accessible to you salmon works just fine.

You'll need about an hour and a half to complete the dish top to bottom. Multi-task and follow the recipe as listed. You want to serve the relish cold, and beets need the least amount of tending to. That's why they're listed first. The fried corn can hold warm while you work on the fish. I think aside from frying corn for your first time you'll learn the art of cooking in an order that makes sense for your end goal and eliminates wasted time in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
Trout:
4 4-6oz pieces of steelhead trout
potlikker jelly
black pepper
kosher salt
cooking oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, or olive oil)

Fried Corn:
4 large ears of corn
1 large piece of fatback (salted pork fat)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups water
kosher salt (to taste)
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp black pepper

Beets:
2 large beets (red, golden, or chioggia)
kosher salt (to taste)

Green Tomato Relish:
1 green tomato
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
fresh dill

Recipe:
For the green tomato relish:

Slice the tomato in half then remove the membrane and seeds. Dice the tomato fine and add to a small bowl.
Stir the tomato, salt, sugar, olive oil, together until combined. Mix in a few sprigs of fresh dill and set aside in your fridge, covered.

For the beets:

Place the beets in a medium sauce pan and cover completely with water.
Bring the water to a soft boil and poach the beets until fork tender, about 45 minutes.
Remove the beets from the water and set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel the beets and quarter them with your knife.
Slice the beets into 1/4" thick slices. Season with kosher salt to taste and set aside.

Each of ear of corn should be clean and your baking dish wide and flat

For the fried corn:

Remove the husks from each ear of corn and as much corn silk as you can. Discard the husks and silk.
In a flat baking dish cut around each ear of corn in a way that splits the kernel. You will go around each ear twice, then scrape the remaining milk of the corn from each ear. See the picture above to know what I mean by 'clean ears' and 'split kernels.'
Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the baking dish and whisk in a 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour.
Render the fatback in a large cast iron skillet over low heat. Be careful not to let the fatback burn it'll ruin the flavor of the dish. Render about 2 tablespoons of fat. If you don't have access to fatback, don't eat pork, or animal products altogether substitute with peanut oil.
Once you have your 2 tablespoons of fat rendered pour the fried corn mixture into the skillet. You want to hear an immediate sizzle.
Stir quickly to avoid clumping, then taste to measure the salt level in the dish. Add the black pepper, sugar, and kosher salt to taste.
Allow the fried corn to simmer until the kernels are tender, but maintain some of their crunch. About 20 minutes. If the dish becomes too thick while simmering add water a tablespoon at a time. Keep warm until you're ready to serve.

For the trout:

Pat each filet of trout dry with a paper towel and season each filet liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
Heat enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of an 8 in. non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Work in batches so the pan doesn't steam and prevent a crust from forming on the fish.
Once the oil slides easily across the pan place the trout flesh side down and sear each side on high for 3 minutes per side. Remove the trout from the pan and set each filet on a small sheet tray. Turn your oven broiler on high.
Brush each filet liberally with potlikker jelly and place the tray in the oven on the rack closest to the broiler.
Allow the fish to broil just until the glaze begins to caramelize, about 4-5 minutes. Then remove from the oven.

Plating:

Spoon the fried corn in the center of the plate. Lay three slices of beets next to the fried corn and lay the fish on top. Spoon the relish over top the beets. Repeat with the remaining three plates and serve immediately. If you're enjoying this meal with guests, take a second to freshen up and take a deep breath before sitting down at the table. Enjoy what you just prepared.