North Georgia Mountain Trout

with Black-Eyed Peas, Corn, Okra Succotash

and Smoke Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

10 oz trout

1/3 cup fresh okra, chopped

1/3 cup fresh kernel corn

1/2 cup fresh black-eyed peas, cooked

1 tblsp celery, small diced

1 tblsp shallot, small diced

1 pinch crushed pepper flakes

1 handful chopped fresh thyme

1/4 onion

1 stalk celery

4 roma tomatoes

1 cup vegetable stock

1 bay leaves

 Preparation:

Take onion, celery stalk, and roma tomatoes, cut into large pieces and smoke in an enclosed area to maximize smoke flavor.   When chips burn out, sweat the onion, celery, and add tomatoes, bay leaf and cover.  Cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes so that all the natural juices from the tomatoes come out.  Add 1/2 the vegetable stock and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Puree in a blender until completely smooth.

Season trout with salt and pepper on both sides.  In a cast iron pam or heavy bottom saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Gently place skin side of fish down, sear for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn to flesh side for 1 minute.  Place fish in pre-heated oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

While fish is in the oven, using the same pan the fish was seared in, add more olive oil and sweat the shallots, pepper flakes and diced celery.    Add the corn, black-eyed peas and the rest of the vegetable stock and simmer for 1 minute.   Add okra and chopped thyme, season with salt and pepper to taste.

For plate up, ladle the sauce in the middle of the plate, spoon succotash in sauce, place one trout fillet, succotash, trout fillet and more succotash on the top.