Skillet Trout with Charred Meyer Lemon Butter, Sorghum-Miso Carrots & Peanut-Gremolata
January always makes me cook like I’m trying to turn the lights back on. I crave something sunny, but I still want it grounded—like Sunday supper with the lamps low and the house quiet. That’s where this skillet trout came from.
Growing up in my grandmother’s kitchen in Atlanta, fish meant hot cast iron and a hard sear—no fuss, just confidence. Years later in Charleston fine dining, I learned what a little controlled char and a well-built butter sauce can do. So I marry the two: trout skin crisped in a skillet, then bathed in Meyer lemon butter that I char first until it smells like caramelized citrus peel.
The carrots are my winter comfort—sweet, steady, reliable—except I lacquer them with sorghum and white miso. That’s the “chef’s touch” I can’t help adding: salty-sweet depth without turning the dish heavy.
And the peanut-gremolata? That’s my wink at home. Peanuts, herbs, and citrus zest—crunchy, bright, and a little unexpected.
Make it yours: swap trout for catfish, use honey if you’re out of sorghum, or add a dash of fish sauce to the carrots if you want extra savor.
Featured Recipe
Skillet Trout with Charred Meyer Lemon Butter, Sorghum-Miso Glazed Carrots & Peanut-Gremolata
In January, I crave food that’s bright enough to cut through the cold but still rooted and steady—like Sunday supper with the lights turned low. This is my winter fish plate: crisp-skinned trout bathed in charred Meyer lemon butter, sweet carrots lacquered with sorghum and white miso, and a crunchy peanut-gremolata that tastes like the South took a quick trip to the Japanese pantry and came back smiling.
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Ingredients
- 4 fillets Rainbow trout fillets (skin-on)(About 5–6 oz each; or use arctic char if you find it)
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(Plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil(Canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil)
- 2 Meyer lemons(Regular lemons work too; add 1 tsp honey to the butter if using regular lemons)
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter(Divided)
- 2 cloves Garlic(1 grated, 1 thinly sliced)
- 4 sprigs Fresh thyme(Or rosemary)
- 1 1/2 lb Carrots(Preferably slender winter carrots; scrubbed, halved lengthwise if thick)
- 1 1/2 tbsp White miso(Shiro miso)
- 1 tbsp Sorghum syrup(Or cane syrup / honey)
- 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp Water(For loosening the glaze)
- 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes(Optional)
- 1/3 cup Roasted salted peanuts(Chopped fine; or use boiled peanuts roasted in a dry skillet until crisp)
- 1/2 cup Parsley(Leaves and tender stems, finely chopped)
- 2 Scallions(Thinly sliced)
- 1 tsp Lemon zest(From one of the lemons)
- 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Flaky salt(To finish, optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Put a large sheet pan in the oven while it preheats (this helps the carrots blister fast).
10 min
Tip: Preheating the pan is the quiet trick that makes home-oven carrots taste like restaurant carrots.
- 2
Make the sorghum-miso glaze: in a small bowl, whisk 1 1/2 tbsp White miso, 1 tbsp Sorghum syrup, 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp Water, 2 cloves Garlic, grated, and (if using) 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes until smooth.
3 min
Tip: If your miso is stiff, microwave the mixture 10 seconds and whisk again.
- 3
Toss 1 1/2 lb Carrots with 1 tbsp Neutral oil and a pinch of 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt. Carefully spread on the hot sheet pan and roast until browned and tender, 18–25 minutes depending on size.
22 min
Tip: Don’t crowd the pan—carrots need space to char instead of steam.
- 4
While carrots roast, make the peanut-gremolata: combine 1/3 cup Roasted salted peanuts, chopped, 1/2 cup Parsley, chopped, 2 Scallions, thinly sliced, 1 tsp Lemon zest, 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of 1/2 tsp Black pepper. Taste and adjust salt if needed (peanuts are already salty).
5 min
Tip: This is your crunch, your herb lift, and your ‘something different’ all in one.
- 5
Pat 4 fillets Rainbow trout fillets (skin-on) skin very dry. Season both sides with 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp Black pepper. Let it sit skin-side up for 5 minutes (the salt will draw a little moisture; you’ll blot once more before searing).
5 min
Tip: Dry skin is the difference between shatter-crisp and sad-soft.
- 6
Char the lemons: cut 2 Meyer lemons in half. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp Neutral oil and place lemons cut-side down. Cook until deeply browned, 2–3 minutes. Remove lemons to a plate.
3 min
Tip: That char gives you a smoky edge that plays real nice with sweet carrots.
- 7
In the same skillet, lower heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp Unsalted butter and the sliced garlic; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant (don’t brown the garlic hard).
1 min
Tip: If the skillet is too hot, pull it off the burner for a few seconds—control beats chaos.
- 8
Sear the trout: increase heat to medium-high. Lay trout in skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for the first 20 seconds so the skin stays flat. Cook until the skin is crisp and the fish is about 70% cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Flip and cook 30–60 seconds more, just to finish. Transfer to a plate, skin-side up.
5 min
Tip: Trout is delicate—aim for just-cooked. It will carryover while you build the sauce.
- 9
Make the charred Meyer lemon butter: lower heat to medium-low. Add remaining 2 tbsp Unsalted butter and 4 sprigs Fresh thyme. Squeeze the charred lemons into the skillet (watch for seeds). Swirl and scrape up the browned bits for 30–60 seconds until glossy.
2 min
Tip: If it looks like it’s breaking, add 1 tsp water and swirl—home-cook emulsification.
- 10
Glaze the carrots: when carrots are tender and browned, toss them on the sheet pan with the sorghum-miso glaze and return to the oven 2–3 minutes to set and get sticky at the edges.
3 min
Tip: That final blast turns the glaze into a lacquer.
- 11
To serve, spoon carrots onto plates. Set trout alongside (or on top). Drizzle charred lemon butter over the fish. Shower everything with peanut-gremolata and finish with 1/2 tsp Flaky salt if you like.
3 min
Tip: Keep the fish skin up at the end—crisp deserves respect.
Chef's Notes
In my grandmother’s Atlanta kitchen, fish meant Friday—usually fried, usually loud, usually with somebody telling a story while the oil talked back. I love that tradition, but January asks me to cook a little cleaner while still keeping the soul of it: crisp skin like good frying, butter that tastes like sunshine in a cold month, and carrots that lean into winter’s sweetness. The peanut-gremolata is my nod to the South’s love affair with peanuts—and my chef side slipping in miso and calling it family. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, don’t sweat it—use regular lemons and add a touch of honey to round the edge.
Marcus Stone
Heritage recipes with a chef's touch
My grandmother's kitchen in Atlanta is where I learned that food carries history. Every pot of collards, every batch of biscuits, every Sunday roast told stories of resilience, family, and love. I went on to train at the finest restaurants in Charleston and worked my way up through white-tablecloth kitchens. But I always came back to those family recipes—now I cook them with a chef's technique but a grandmother's heart. Because the best food honors where it came from.