For some time there has been one skill in the kitchen that has been an unknown to me, but when I finally decided to explore it, my experience and flavors were taken to an entirely different level. The skill I was intimated to learn initially in the kitchen was how to make delicious sauces, inspired by French cuisine.

Perhaps that is a lesson to apply to all arenas of our lives, and it is something we talk about often here on the blog. What we fear is often a road sign letting us know where we need to travel if we wish to grow, but also if we wish to step into the life we want to live. Our fear acts as sort of wise fortune teller who actually does have the map toward are dreams’ materialization. We’re not talking about having doubts, remember as shared before in TSLL’s second book, the two are entirely different. What we fear is something we do not know, and thus it is curiosity and courage that will help us take the first step to learning and seeing what is around the corner.

Discovering that sauces are absolutely a skill any one of us can master if only we have the proper teacher, cookbook or guide, was a game changer for me as I mentioned above. Every dish that was complemented with a sauce made of the renderings and finished with the right flavors from either wine, butter, stock, aromatics, acids such as lemon (but there are many more), and/or herbs took the entire dish to a new and delicious level. And it didn’t take all that much more time to do. I simply needed to learn how to do it.

I have been exploring sauce-making for years (and making many mistakes along the way), watching other cooks whip them up effortlessly, but it was with the guidance of Susan Hermann-Loomis and the cookbook by James Peterson Sauces: Classic and Contemporary Sauce Making that gave me the specific and direct skills to have the confidence and the success I was searching for.

In today’s episode, to demonstrate just how simple a classic French sauce can be that will elevate any dish you wish to pair it with, I am making Citron Beurre Blanc, a version of the classic Beurre Blanc (I will demonstrate and share the recipes for both, as well as the history). Paired with a simple Herbed Trout recipe, a scrumptious dinner will be on the table and ready to enjoy in fewer than 20 minutes.

As well, I will take you back with me to Louviers, France, and share with you the highlights of my cooking class with Susan Hermann-Loomis this summer. I do hope you enjoy this episode, and thank you for stopping by.

Links from the Episode:

• Posts mentioned: 
  • A Butter Tasting and My Favorite French Butter
  • 34 Must-Have Items for Your Home Épicerie
  • Attending Susan Hermann Loomis’ Cooking Class in Louviers, Normandy
  • Herbed Couscous, Season 1, Episode #4
  • Caprese Salad – three ways, Season 1, Episode #6
• Wūsthof Epicure Chef’s Knife (my favorite!) and it’s on sale!

~Cook & Share! I would love to share your Simply Luxurious Kitchen inspired experiences from your kitchen! Tag me on Instagram with @thesimplyluxuriouslife #tslkitchen and your post could appear on my Instagram feed. Many readers have already shared their meals inspired by recipes from TSLKitchen. Check out TSLL’s IG Story Highlights – titled, Viewers’ Recipes. And see the most recent shares since Season 1 wrapped up as viewers began to explore the recipes in their own kitchens.

Check out previous episode from Season 2 of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen

Season 2 Premiere – Moules Marinière à la Crème

Season 2, Episode #2, My Friday Night Lemon Butter Shrimp Pasta

Season 2, Episode #3, Apple Tart Tatin, plus How to Polish Copper Simply & Easily

Herbed Trout with Citron Beurre Blanc

Simply Luxurious

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  

Herbed Trout

• 1 fillet trout (salmon, sole, or any fish you wish to eat) debone
• 3-4 tablespoons rosemary, fresh (or any hardy herb) roughly chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons flour
• course sea salt and pepper for seasoning
• 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 lemon sliced for garnish

Citron Beurre Blanc

• 1 small shallot finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter the best quality butter you can find

Instructions

 

Herbed Trout

• Prepare the fillet, debone if necessary. To debone, simply drape the fillet over a small mixing bowl that has been flipped upside down. This will cause the bones to poke out so you can easily grab them with your fingers or a tweezers.
• Dredge the fillet in the flour, meat side only. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put the roughly chopped rosemary (or herb of your choice) into the trout. Pat into it gently.
• With the stovetop at medium heat, place a tablespoon of unsalted butter into the pan, and place the trout skin side down and cook for two minutes on each side approximately. (Feel free to add more butter to the pan when you flip the trout to the second side.)
• Remove from the heat, and place on a platter. Garnish the platter with fresh sprigs of rosemary or whichever herb you used, as well as slices of lemon. Drizzle the Citron Beurre Blanc on top of the fillet (or you can reserve the sauce, place it in a small pitcher, and let each guest add the sauce to their own fillets).

Citron Beurre Blanc

• Over medium-high heat (do not bring it to boil), place the shallot and lemon juice in a sauce pan. Cook and stir until the lemon juice has reduced by half.
• Once the lemon juice has reduced to half, remove from the heat, the pan will still be warm, and begin adding two tablespoon of butter at a time and stir constantly until incorporated. Make sure the pan/sauce stays warm, and if it needs to return to the stovetop, do so to keep the sauce warm, but do not bring to boil or it will likely break.
• If the sauce breaks, you can add one ice cube and stir until it retains the consistency you want while stirring over medium-high heat. You can also use a touch of heavy cream, but the ice cube would be my recommendation. You can only do this once, but it most definitely can work the first time.
• Stir in the remaining butter until fully incorporated. You can keep the sauce warm if you are not serving it immediately, by placing it in a warm water bath. In a large casserole dish, or larger than your sauce pan, place hot tap water - about 1-2 inches. Place the sauce pan, with the sauce into the casserole dish with the water and set aside until you wish to serve it.