Pan Roasted Trout with Vodka Crab and Tomato Reduction

I have always loved the penne pasta vodka cream dish, and been dying to do something a bit different at home.

Hence, I decided to pair a milder version (milder as in less creamy) of that delicious sauce with a nice fish protein to give it a more refreshing taste.

Season the trout with generous amounts of salt and pepper and leave it aside. In a separate pot, boil 2 tomatoes until the skins are peeling. Remove the skins and set aside.

To prepare the vodka tomato sauce, in a pan, heat lots of shallots and garlic in a both olive oil and butter. Let it saute for a min or 2.

Take half a cup worth of vodka and add it to the pan. Mix it well and let the mixture reduce by half. By now, the aroma of the vodka and the veggies will be significantly brought out.

Next add in about a cup worth of chicken stock. Add in the softened tomatoes as well and let them cook in the entire mixture and be sure to crush the tomatoes. Add some pepper for seasoning.

Bring the entire mixture to a boil, and then let it simmer for 10-15 mins. Add in peeled crab meat and stir them in thoroughly for the flavors to infused. Leave it to cook for another 10 mins or so.

Right at the end, bring it to a boil again and add in heavy cream to thicken the sauce. Let it reduce for a few mins before taking it off the heat. Add some freshly crushed basil directly into the sauce and plate the sauce.

In another skillet, pan roast the trout until about two thirds cooked before flipping the fish. Base it in butter for a few mins and take the pan off the heat and let it rest for 5 mins. Once properly rested, place the trout in the bath of vodka tomato sauce and garnish with some chopped coriander for color.