Lake Trout with Fingerling Potatoes and Bacon

Contributed by Paul Kahan

Unless you can catch the lake trout yourself, you will probably have to make the recipe with salmon, which works just as well.

20 fingerling potatoes (1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 pound thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 5-ounce skinless lake trout fillets
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped thyme

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and wipe out the pan. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet, add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Season the trout fillets with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the skillet. Add the trout and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the trout. Add the wine, potatoes, leeks and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Simmer over low heat until the trout is barely done, about 4 minutes. Transfer the fish to warmed, shallow bowls. Simmer the vegetables until the wine taste mellows, about 4 minutes. Add the bacon and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the vegetables and sauce around the trout and serve at once.

Make Ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.