Smoked trout rillette with pickled fennel
If using a whole trout for this recipe, be mindful of bones when removing the smoked fish from the frame. I find it best to flake the fish as you pick it to ensure you don’t find any bones in the final product.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
Ingredients
For the smoked trout rillette
200g hot smoked trout
100g crème fraiche
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Zest of 1 lemon
1 small gherkin
¼ tsp of capers, drained
Fine sea salt
For the pickled fennel
1 bulb of fennel
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black peppercorns
140ml apple cider vinegar
140g caster sugar
140ml water
Fine sea salt
To serve
1 large baguette
1 tbsp golden rapeseed oil
2 sprigs dill
Method
Place the creme fraiche, mayonnaise, and wholegrain mustard in a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix well to combine.
Finely dice the gherkin and capers and add to the dressing along with the lemon zest.
Add the picked smoked trout to the bowl and fold through carefully, keeping as many flakes of fish as intact as possible.
Taste to correct seasoning and refrigerate until serving.
For the pickled fennel
Place a small heavy-based pot on medium high heat. Add the black peppercorns and bay leaf and toast until fragrant.
Once fragrant, add the apple cider vinegar, water, caster sugar, and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
Once the sugar is dissolved,remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve.
Discard the bay leaf and black peppercorns, and allow the pickle liquor to cool.
While that is cooling, prepare the fennel. Shave the fennel into wafer thin pieces using a mandolin or a speed peeler, avoiding the tougher core as you go.
Place in a non-reactive container or dish and once the pickle liquor has cooled, pour over.
Allow to sit for at least 30minutes before serving.
To serve
Pre-heat oven to 180˚C.
Slice the baguette into rounds, place on a tray, and drizzle with golden rapeseed oil.
Bake in the oven until golden brown and crisp.
Drain the fennel from the pickle liquor and place in a small bowl. Finely chop the dill and add to the fennel, mix to coat.
Place a tablespoon of the smoked trout rillette on each of the toasts and top with some pickled fennel.
