Every week at the market, I’m picking up an ingredient that I’ve never cooked with before.
Last week it was agretti—this week: sorrel. Unlike agretti which I’d never even heard of before I laid eyes on it one fine Saturday morning, sorrel is a green that I’ve been acquainted with, just not in my own kitchen.
Sorrel really does have a unique flavor—when served raw, it’s extremely tangy and sour, kind of like biting into a lemon, and tends to overpower whatever it’s served with. Cooking it down just slightly, however, softens the flavor, making it perfect ingredient for a sauce.
Sorrel is typically paired with fish, although I did find a chicken and sorrel recipe from NY Times and this lovely creamy sorrel soup which is loaded with basmati rice and potatoes.
I went the traditional route: cooking down sorrel in a little bit of browned butter and then whisking it with heavy cream over low heat before gently pouring it over pan-cooked trout.
It’s a quick, easy way to introduce yourself to sorrel. Choose to add just a little sauce to your fish or choose to smother it, it’s up to you.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2½ oz sorrel, stems trimmed and cut into thick ribbons
- ½ cup chives, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pound trout fillets
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat and cook until it starts to foam and brown. Add sorrel and chives and stir, letting greens wilt. You'll notice that the sorrel will start turning a greenish brown color very quickly. Stir in cream. Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes.
- Turn off heat and cover while you make the fish.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Generously salt and pepper the trout fillets, then place them skin side down in the oil (work in batches if needed). Cook until skin is crispy, about 3 minutes, then flip and cook on remaining side for 2-3 minutes, until fish is cooked through.
- Transfer fish to plate and pour warm sorrel sauce on top. Serve immediately.
Vicky this is sooo beautiful. I grew up eating sorrel. But always found it close to impossible to find it on our grocery stores! So my in-laws starting growing it and now we have it straight from the garden :)
writes Girl and the KitchenMy mother just informed me that sorrel used to grow rampant in central Russia – I had no idea!
writes VickyI’m not one that often uses sorrel in my cooking, so thanks for this delicious sauce. I definitely will be making it!
writes Thalia @ butter and briocheMake a cake with sorrel…I dare you :)
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