Cleophus’s Roasted Escovitch Trout with Roasted Pepper Compote

Whole dressed trout might look intimidating to prepare, but it’s actually easy. All you do is put the fish on a pan, add oil and seasoning, and pop them into a hot oven. They make an impressive presentation on the plate, although you always have the option of slipping the tender fish off the fish-bone frame before serving.

The main ingredient in the gorgeous, flavorful relish (that elevates this fish dish into the realm of fine dining) is sweet bell peppers, but it also gets a boost of color and intrigue from fresh yellow gooseberries, sometimes called Golden Berries or Ground Cherries. You’ll find them in most well-stocked grocery stores and some farmers markets. Yellow gooseberries are fruity and sweet-tart, and often have the aroma of honey or sweet wine. I think they taste like ripe yellow cherry tomatoes and fresh pineapple, and a combination of those would be a nice substitution.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

For the compote: 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as canola or grapeseed, not olive oil)
• 2 medium-sized red onions, thinly sliced into strips (about 4 cups)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Pinch of sugar
• 4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup fresh yellow gooseberries
• 1/4 cup red palm oil (preferably Nutiva brand)
• 2 teaspoons Ebi spice (see note)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

For the trout: 

• 4 whole rainbow trout, dressed (each about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (such as canola or grapeseed, not olive oil)
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt

Directions

For the compote: 

Warm the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, stir in the onions and a pinch of salt and sugar. Cover and cook until the onions wilt, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and a pinch of sugar to encourage browning, if you like. 

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook uncovered until the onions are very soft and dark golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir often enough to scrape up the glaze that will form on the bottom of the pan, but not so often that the onions cannot brown. 

Reduce the heat and add a few drops of water if the glaze begins to scorch. When done, there should be a scant cup of richly browned caramelized onions and garlic. (You can do this step ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to one week. Reheat in a little oil before proceeding.)

Increase the heat to medium. Stir in the roasted red peppers and gooseberries, and warm through. Stir in the palm oil and Ebí spice, and warm through. (The compote can be made ahead to this point up to 3 days ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat before proceeding.)

For the trout:

Preheat the oven to 475°F. (Use convection roast setting, if you have it.) With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slashes through the skin on both sides of the trout, spacing the slashes about 2 inches apart. Arrange the trout in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour the oil over the trout and season both sides generously with salt.

Roast until the trout is cooked through and the salt on top is golden in spots, 10 to 12 minutes. To test for doneness, insert the tip of a thin knife or metal skewer into the thickest spot of the trout flesh. Remove the knife after 3 seconds and carefully touch the tip; if the tip is warm, the fish is done. Let the fish rest while finishing the compote.

To serve: Stir the red and green pepper strips into the compote and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, only long enough to lose their rawness while remaining crisp.

Use a long thin spatula to transfer the trout to serving plates. Top with warm compote and serve at once.

Chef Cleophus Hethington, a South Florida native, grew up around the table, eating and cooking delicious soul food — food that would eventually shape his culinary trajectory: flavors, ingredients, and dishes from the African diaspora (a term that reflects the mass dispersion of peoples from Africa during the Transatlantic Slave Trades, which occurred from the 1500s to the 1800s). 

Chef "Ophus," as he's affectionately called, enjoys tracing cultural food ties in his Miami, Atlanta, and Asheville culinary scenes. He began his career in the U.S. Navy, serving five years as a hospital corpsman and the crew's unofficial "kitchen magician." In 2022, Cleophus garnered a nomination for a James Beard Award for Emerging Chef.

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.