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Glazed Trout with Carrot Purée and Spätzle

Grilled trout is lacquered in a glaze that is fragrant with fennel and thyme in this adaptation of a recipe from the Grey Plume in Omaha. From: Saveur SERVES 2-4

For the glaze and carrot purée:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
3 sprigs thyme
1 lemon, zested and quartered
4 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1¼ cup carrot juice
1½ tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
For the spätzle:
2 cups flour
½ cup crème fraîche
½ cup milk
1 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
1¼ tsp. Dijon mustard
3 eggs
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
2 oz. baby spinach
For the trout:
2 (1-lb.) trout, cleaned and scaled
2 tbsp. olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Make the glaze: Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add fennel and onion; cook until soft, 10–12 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, and quartered lemon; cook until tomatoes are broken down, 8–10 minutes. Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain liquid, discarding vegetables, and return to saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half again, 15–20 minutes. Remove glaze from heat; stir in 2 tbsp. butter, plus the zest, salt, and pepper. Make the purée: Boil remaining butter with carrot juice, vinegar, carrots, salt, pepper, and 12 cup water in a 2-qt. saucepan until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes; purée until smooth in a blender. Keep both glaze and purée warm.

Make the spätzle: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Whisk flour, crème fraîche, milk, thyme, mustard, eggs, and half the zest with salt and pepper in a bowl into a smooth batter. Place a colander with large holes over the boiling water and working in batches, use a rubber spatula to press batter through holes into water. Cook until spätzle float, 2–3 minutes. Transfer spätzle to a colander. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add spätzle, salt, and pepper; cook until golden, 8–10 minutes. Stir in spinach, remaining zest, and the juice.

Grill the trout: Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Brush trout with oil and season inside with zest, salt, and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until slightly charred and cooked, 15–18 minutes.

To serve, spread carrot purée on the bottom of 2 plates, top each plate with spätzle and a trout; brush trout generously with glaze.