Whenever I shoot off the "top three restaurants in Charlottesville" question to friends and acquaintances, the C&O pretty much always gets a spot. The revolving seasonal menu plus French countryside atmosphere make for a hell of a dining experience, and there’s that mysterious feeling of timelessness down in the bistro (where, incidentally, my favorite dates usually occur).
C&O’s elegantly prepared local rainbow trout will send you over the moon.
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Their preparation of local rainbow trout stays true to the general character there—elegant, classic and oh-so-tasteful. The standard mirepoix is made with a trio of aromatic vegetables (usually onion, carrot and celery as in this recipe), but the additions of white wine, cream and fish stock amplify the traditional flavor and give it a rich, velvety finish. If you want a bit of variation, test out another combination of aromatics: parsnips, shallots, leeks, chiles and bell peppers could be selected to complement the flavor and texture of the fish. Chef Pete Jaketic points out that this dish has much presentation potential, advising that you can cut the parchment paper open at the table. He notes, "The release of steam is impressive, and it smells delicious.
C&O’s Local Rainbow Trout in Parchment with Mushrooms and Mirepoix
Mirepoix:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. finely chopped onion
1 Tbs. finely chopped carrot
1 Tbs. finely chopped celery
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
1 1/2 cup pinot noir
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fish stock
salt and pepper
Sauté vegetables in olive oil over medium heat with garlic, stir in bay leaf and peppercorns. Add pinot noir, reduce, add heavy cream and fish stock, continue reducing until veggies are tender, salt and pepper to taste. It should be a thick, nonwatery reduction.
Mushrooms:
2 Tbs. olive oil or butter
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cap portobello, diced
1 cap shiitake, diced
1 cap chicken of the woods, diced
1 Tbs. fresh thyme
salt and pepper
Heat pan to medium, add oil and garlic. Toss in mushrooms, stirring frequently, then add wine. Add fresh thyme, sauté 10 minutes or until tender.
Trout:
1 whole trout with head and tail
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a whole or half sheet of parchment paper according to size of fish. Butter with brush. Put salted and peppered fish on paper, place a spoonful of the mirepoix on top and spoonfuls of the mushroom mixture beside, and add a sprig of thyme on top. Fold parchment over fish, creasing paper twice where the lengths meet at the top. Continue to tuck and fold until tight, closing sides so that moisture is retained. Bake on sheet for about 15 minutes. When papio puffs, it’s filled with steam: It should be puffed for at least 10 minutes to ensure that it’s properly cooked. To present, cut an X in the top of the paper and fold open like a flower.
