SERVES 4
The most famous way to prepare trout in Spain comes from Navarra, a fertile region in northern Spain bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragón. The saltiness of the jamón offers a perfect counter to the delicate flavors of the fish. Like many cooks, I use the least expensive cured jamón called jamón serrano (as opposed to the much more expensive jamón ibérico) for this dish. Look for wide, moist, and fatty slices.
1. Rinse the trout and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season with salt.
2. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat and add the jamón. Cook, turning as needed, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the jamón to paper towels and dab off the excess oil.
3. Lightly dredge the trout in flour and add to the skillet. Cook until the trout are golden and just cooked through, turning very carefully just once, about 4 minutes on each side. Test for doneness along the backbone with the tip of a knife; the meat should be just opaque and still very moist. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more if needed. Transfer to a serving dish.
4. Tuck a slice of jamón into the cavity of each fish. Finely chop the remaining four slices of jamón into shards.
5. Squeeze the lemon over the fish and dust with the chopped jamón and the parsley. Serve immediately.