This quick and easy fish dish comes to us from the Basque region of Navarra in the northeast part of Spain. Perfect for a campfire frying pan, this simple yet complexly flavored trout dish also turns out well when grilled or roasted in the oven.
Trucha a la navarra is traditionally served with the head on, but remove the heads if you don’t like your dinner staring at you.
Grilling or Roasting the Trout
The pan-frying step can be skipped if you want to grill the trout instead. Grilling is an especially popular way to prepare this dish for a crowd outdoors. Rub each fish all over on the outside with some olive oil. Salt and pepper well and either then grill over medium coals, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes.
For an even quicker weeknight meal, with less cleanup, you can roast the fish without the initial frying. Again, rub the fish all over with olive oil and then salt and pepper each generously. Nexst place the fish on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. or until cooked through. A last-minute flash under the broiler will crisp up the skin nicely.
Truchas a la Navarra
Course: Fish and SeafoodCuisine: Spain, Basque
Perfect for a campfire frying pan, this simple yet complexly flavored trout dish also turns out well when grilled or roasted in the oven.
Ingredients
Whole, cleaned trout — 6
Garlic, minced — 3 cloves
Salt and pepper — to season
Serrano ham or prosciutto — 12 thin slices
Olive oil — 1/4 cup
Lemons, cut into wedges — 2
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the insides of each trout with the minced garlic, then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place two slices of ham or prosciutto inside the belly of each fish.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet or pan large enough to hold the fish. Working in batches, fry the fish until lightly browned on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes minutes. Then gently flip and fry on the other side for another 3 or 4 minutes.
- Transfer the fried fish to a baking sheet and place in the oven until the fish is cooked through, another 8 to 10 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges, a simple side salad and fried, roasted or baked potatoes.
Trucha a la Navarra Notes and Variations
- If you are pan frying, the individual fish can be dredged on both sides in some seasoned flour after stuffing to make the skin extra crispy and crunchy. Spread 1 cup of flour, mixed with some salt and pepper, on a plate and dredge both sides of each fish in the flour. Shake off any excess and set aside for a few minutes to set the coating before frying.
- Substitute for the ham: Use a good quality, thinly sliced bacon or pancetta instead of the serrano ham or prosciutto, if you prefer. It’s best to pre-fry the bacon or pancetta before stuffing the fish with it.
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