ROAST OCEAN TROUT WITH A HERB CRUST

SERVES 4

Any firm white-fleshed fish is wonderful with a herb crust. Not only does it give great flavour to the fish but more importantly it keeps it moist during cooking.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ brown onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

60 g (2¼ oz/1 cup) toasted coarse breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roasted and roughly pounded

3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves

3 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (no pith)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

90 g (3¼ oz) unsalted butter, softened

4 x 180 g (6 oz) ocean trout fillet, skin off

lemon wedges, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).

For the herb crust, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from the pan and transfer to a stainless steel bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, ginger, coriander seeds and leaves, parsley, chives, lemon zest, sea salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix thoroughly, add the butter and mix again; it should start to come together.

On a chopping board, squash the crust mixture into a square that is slightly larger than the fish fillet. Lay the fish, presentation side down, on the crust mixture and cut the fish and its coating into four pieces. Slide a fish slice under the first piece, carefully turn the fish and its coating over and put in a roasting tin, crust side up. Repeat with the remaining portions. Cook in the oven for 6–7 minutes or until cooked to your liking. (The time will differ depending on the thickness of the fillets.)

Carefully place one fish portion on each of four plates and squeeze over fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Fennel or zucchini soup makes a wonderful sauce for this fish. Add a salad and a few boiled and buttered baby spuds and you have a fantastic meal. You can make a cracking sauce for fish by roasting tomatoes in the oven until very soft, removing the skin and then boiling with a couple of tablespoons of good red wine vinegar and chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley.