Steelhead Poached in White Wine and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Submitted by Steph Chambers on March 11, 2010 - 5:10pm
Steelhead Poached in White Wine
We had been married about 15 years when we took a 'runaway from it all' trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  North of the city of Victoria is an area called the Saanich Peninsula where five wineries flourish in the cool, dry Mediterranean-like climate. Flowers bloom year-round in Victoria, ferns and lichens coloring the forest floor throughout the winter. Spring sports an explosion of calypso orchids before giving way to bushes abundant with huckleberry, salmonberry, trailing blackberry, salal, and Oregon grapes.  The lush vegetation inspires some of the best local cuisine I ever had.  There, for the first time, I tasted a fish called Steelhead poached with herbs and nectarines.  Steelhead are the migrating version of rainbow trout. Rainbow trout are "land locked," remaining in fresh water throughout their life. Steelhead migrate from the ocean into freshwater to spawn, and then swim back out to the ocean again if they wish. Since they not die after spawning they are not an "official" Pacific Salmon, but taste like it yet moister, making them easy to poach or grill. There are two seasons for wild Steelhead; the winter one ends in April.  You may not be able to runaway to Vancouver Island at this moment, but you can conjure a virtual trip there by cooking fresh Steelhead.

Recipe:

Serves 4

2 lbs. fresh wild Steelhead

1 Tablespoon seasoning mix for grilled meat that includes salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup white wine

½ cup sun dried tomatoes

5 green onion tops, coarsely chopped

5 sprigs fresh thyme, bundled with their own stems (tie one around the other four)

1/2 cup Delouis French mayonnaise or homemade (in refrigerated deli section at Central Market)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Dry fresh fish with paper towels.  Pour wine in shallow porcelain oven-safe cooking dish. Rub seasoning into fish with hands.  Drizzle olive oil over fish, taking care not to knock off the seasoning.  Place carefully into white wine, placing sun dried tomatoes, herb bundle and onions over the fish.  Cover fish with a lid or aluminum foil and poach until medium rare to medium, about 10-15 minutes.  When liquid coming out of fish turns from clear to opaque, it is ready to remove from oven. The fish will continue steam as it cools for a few minutes.  Remove lid and serve over orzo, cous cous or rice cooked in a seasoned chicken or vegetable broth.  Steamed spinach or broccolini make good side vegetables.  Drizzle all with mayonnaise blended with fresh lemon juice and fresh thyme.  Serve with white or light and fruity red wine.

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