18min
Pan-seared, speckled trout
Pan-seared
beginnerPan-seared trout with lemon butter
Delicate fillets, high heat, short time — the best way to honor a fresh speckled trout or flounder.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 18 min
- Serves
- 2
Equipment
- Heavy skillet (cast iron works well)
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb thin fillets, patted very dry
- 2 tbsp flour or fine cornmeal for dusting
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
- 1Dust dry fillets lightly and season with salt and pepper.
- 2Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high until shimmering.
- 3Add fillets and cook 2–3 minutes without moving them.
- 4Flip once, add butter, and cook 1–2 minutes more.
- 5Confirm 145°F, then finish with lemon juice and parsley off the heat.
Allergen notice
Contains fish and dairy, wheat/gluten as written. Always confirm current ingredient labels and cross-contact risk in your own kitchen before serving to someone with a food allergy — this project cannot verify any specific brand or supplier.
Safe cooking & storage
Cook fish to an internal temperature of 145°F, until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork (source: FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperature chart).
Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days.
Only cook legally harvested fish. Confirm current size limits, seasons, and possession limits with VMRC (saltwater) or DWR (freshwater), and check Virginia fish consumption advisories for the waterbody you fished.