Trout has a wonderful delicate flavour, and needs very little cooking, and even less in the way of sauces, flavourings and seasonings. Here it's been matched with watercress and mushrooms. All the flavours work well and are not fighting against each other.
Just serve with a few boiled new potatoes and roasted baby carrots.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
3-4 tbsp olive oil
Three chopped shallots, peeled and chopped very finely
Two cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped very finely
125g button mushrooms, chopped finely
2 tsp lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg yolk
1 x 85g bag watercress, lightly chopped
60 - 80g dried breadcrumbs
salt and freshly milled black pepper
a little butter
Two x 400g trout, scaled, gutted and
backbone removed, but left whole
100ml cold water (approx)
pinch fish stock cube or paste
100ml double cream or 85g natural yoghurt
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C.
2. Heat the olive oil, add the three chopped shallots and garlic and cook over a low heat until soft, about three to four minutes.
3. Next add the finely chopped mushrooms, and cook for a further ten minutes. You will probably find a little water cooks out of the mushrooms. Do not worry, carry on cooking until all the liquid has evaporated, then add the lemon juice and zest.
4. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. When cool add the egg yolk, of the watercress and enough breadcrumbs to stiffen up the mixture, then season well.
5. You need to end up with a firm - but not too firm - stuffing. Remember that the breadcrumbs will continue to soak up the juices. Once inside the trout, so leave slightly loose.
6. Grease a deep baking dish with a little butter, and then pop the two trout into the tray.
7. Season the fish well inside and out with salt and pepper, then pack in the stuffing, re-shaping the fish to roughly its original shape.
8. Add to the tray the water, fish stock cube or paste, cover tightly with foil and bring to the boil on the top of the stove.
9. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and just cooked. Do not over- cook.
10. Remove from the oven and carefully strain off the juices into a small saucepan (there will be a wonderful aroma when you first open the fish).
11. Bring the juices to the boil and reduce rapidly, by half the volume. Add the cream and last of the watercress and
re-boil.
12. Alternatively, if using natural yoghurt, bring the juices to the boil and remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly and stir in 75-85g natural yoghurt, but do not boil or the sauce will curdle.
13. Place the fish on large plates and spoon over the hot sauce.
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