Sweet and Spiced Trout and Crab Soup

Coconut milk-based, spicy soup

Category
Soup
Cuisine
American
Serves
4-6
Time
45 minutes
From
Bobby Flay

troutcrabcoconut

Adapted from Bobby Flay: Chapter One

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
  • 2 dried chiles de árbol
  • 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 habanero chile, seeds and veins removed, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1(4-ounce) can Maesri red curry paste
  • 2 (13.5-ounce) cans unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 cups shrimp stock
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1 (12-ounce) skin-on center-cut sea trout fillet
  • 1 teaspoon chile de árbol powder
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
  • Clover honey, as needed
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives

Instructions

  1. In a large high-sided sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer.
  2. Add the chiles de árbol and toast for 1 minute, then remove and discard them.
  3. Add the onion, habanero, and garlic to the pan and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
  4. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring continuously, until the color deepens and the raw taste has been cooked out, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the coconut milk and sugar, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 12 minutes.
  6. Add the stock and fish sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the flavors have melded.
  7. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the remaining2 tablespoons oil over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer.
  8. Pat the trout dry with paper towels (make sure the skin and flesh are as dry as possible to achieve a good sear) and season with the chile powder and kosher salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Place the fish in the skillet, flesh-side down, and sear until almost blackened, about 7 minutes.
  10. Transfer the trout to a plate and let it cool. Once cooled, remove and discard the skin, leaving the flesh in big flaky pieces. Set the trout aside.
  11. Working in batches, if needed, transfer the curry soup to a blender and carefully blend until smooth, then return it to the pot over medium heat.
  12. Stir in the crabmeat and cook until just heated through, then add the lime zest and juice.
  13. Taste the curry and season with kosher salt and pepper; if it is too spicy, add honey to taste.
  14. Pour the soup into bowls. Gently place pieces of flaked trout on top of the soup to avoid sinking, then garnish with the scallions or chives.
  15. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can buy steelhead trout at Aldi's which is a good substitute. It cooks faster though, so be careful
  • Habaneros are very spicy, so maybe replace with jalapeno (or just leave it out since there is also chile de arbol in there)? The original recipe includes the seeds, but don't do that unless you like really spicy food!
  • I use Better Than Bouillon Lobster Stock paste instead of shrimp stock