Baked Trout with Shiitake Mushroom Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce mixed with 2 cups boiling water
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 trout (about 10 ounces each)heads removed
• fish cleaned and boned
• fillets left attached to the skin
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 large leeks
• white and tender green
• thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. In a bowl, soak the shiitakes in the tamari-spiked boiling water until softened, about 30 minutes.
2. Drain the mushrooms, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid.
3. In a food processor, pulse the mushrooms and the reserved mushroom liquid with the parsley, garlic and shallot until finely chopped.
4. With the machine on, slowly add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
5. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. Place the trout on a work surface.
7. Using tweezers, remove the fine pin bones that run along the center of each fillet.
8. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.
9. Arrange the trout, skin side down, on the sheet.
10. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet.
11. Add the leeks and cook over moderately high heat until just wilted, about 3 minutes.
12. Add the wine, season with salt and pepper and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes.
13. Preheat the oven to 400.
14. Sprinkle the trout with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
15. Spread one-quarter of the pesto in a thin layer on each trout.
16. Spoon the leeks on top and bake for about 10 minutes, or just until the trout is cooked through.