Trout in Cream Sauce with Sauerkraut (Alsatian Choucroute aux Poisson)

Traditionally, choucroute au poisson was a dish made in Alsatian riverside villages, but today restaurants throughout Alsace serve a version in which filets of flaky, white-fleshed fish such as pike perch are pan-fried or poached and served on a bed of choucroute and topped with a creamy riesling sauce. Since pike perch is not readily available, we used trout, which works beautifully too.

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ lb piece smoked bacon, cut into ½" cubes
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp. cumin seeds
2 pods star anise
1 bay leaf
½ lb. raw Sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1¼ cup white wine, preferably dry riesling
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 (6-8 oz) filets trout, boneless, skin on
¼ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached, sifted
4 Tbsp. butter
½ cups heavy cream

Garnish:
chervil leaves

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. fat. Reduce heat to medium and add half the shallots along with the thyme, cumin, star anise, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sauerkraut, ½ cup wine, and ⅓ cup water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauerkraut softens and the flavours meld, about 25 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and set aside; discard bay leaf and star anise. Keep warm.

Season trout filets with salt and pepper. Put flour on a plate and dredge trout in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add trout skin side down and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.

Transfer trout to a plate and loosely cover with foil. Return skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp. butter and remaining shallots. Cook until shallots are soft, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, pour in remaining wine, and cook until wine is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and stir in remaining butter.

To serve, divide sauerkraut between 2 plates and top each with trout. Spoon sauce around fish and garnish with chervil.

Makes 2 servings.