Angling for Blueberries

This delicate dish combines sweet blueberries with savory trout.

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When I was a kid my family spent one week every summer fishing and camping at a remote lake in Ontario, Canada. Along the banks of that lake clusters of wild blueberry bushes sunk their roots into the dark soil of the pine forest, their branches sagging under the weight of plump, indigo-blue berries. Although I love to fish, nine times out of 10 I found myself turning my back on the trout and walleye in favor of the juicy blueberries bursting with refreshing sweetness—the perfect antidote to the sun on the water.

If I’d known as a 9-year-old that those delicious, bite-sized berries were actually good for me, I probably would have refused to eat them. Today blueberries are hailed as a kind of super food. Chock full of antioxidants, dietary fiber, potassium, and other nutrients, blueberries are purported to improve brain function and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and even cancer—all for just 80 calories per cup.

Fish and blueberries. Both are delicious on their own, but can they work together in a single dish? Certainly they can, says Marc Meyer, chef and proprietor of three New York City restaurants, Five Points, Cookshop, and Hundred Acres. “In many cases we labor under the tacit rule that fruit is a sweet, not to be mixed with savory,” says Meyer. “But in this recipe, the mild flavor of the trout calls for something like blueberries with their off-sweet tart and rich flavors. The bitterness of the arugula, the enriching of the olive oil, and the aromatic quality of the mint rounds out the entire dish.”

Blueberry and Grilled Trout Arugula Salad
(Makes 4 servings)

Photo Courtesy U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Ingredients

  • 4 4-ounce trout fillets
  • 6 ounces (11 cups) arugula
  • 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅟₄ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Grill trout fillets skin-side-up over medium heat until lightly brown, about 1 ½ minutes. Turn over and grill another 2 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove fillets from heat, skin, and break into medium-sized pieces.

2. In bowl, combine arugula, trout, and blueberries.

3. In small cup, combine oil, vinegar, mint, salt, and pepper.

4. Divide salad onto 4 chilled plates; drizzle each serving with dressing.

Nutrition analysis per serving (including dressing)

Calories: 363

Total Fat: 26 g

Saturated Fat: 3.8 g

Sodium: 352 mg

Carbohydrate: 14 g

Fiber: 2.4 g

Protein: 19.45 g

Diabetic Exchanges:

1 Carbohydrate

3 Lean Meat

5 Fat Exchanges

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