Easy trout recipe

This recipe makes for a lovely tasting trout, in fact Andy (my Twin) had never eaten trout until this was served up for him and he sat in a busy kitchen quietly stuffing his face until he had finished the whole trout. Then again there is a reason he is over a stone (14 pounds,6.5 kg) heavier than me. This recipe can also be found (along with many others) in the Selfsufficientish Bible

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Small Fresh Trout (See Daves tip for preparing trout below)
Or 4 Fresh Trout Fillets
1 Head of Fennel
4 Sprigs of Tarragon or 4 Teaspoons of dried tarragon
2 Teaspoons of fresh chopped dill or 1 teaspoon of Dried
Olive Oil
You will also need – some tin foil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 oC
2. Take each trout fillet and place individually into tin foil and brush lightly with olive oil
3. Chop the fennel head up and add a quarter to each parcel
4. Add the herbs to each parcel
5. Cook for about Thirty Minutes – to check it is cooked, make sure there is no blood visible and it just gives a little to the touch. It will be undercooked if it wobbles like jelly or over cooked if it is solid
6. Unwrap the fish and allow one fillet per-person
7. Serve with new potatoes and peas

Dave Tip – Preparing Trout

1. First remove the gills. This is done by laying the fish on its back easing open the gill flaps. Then gently pull out the gill fan from the gill flaps and cut them off with a sharp knife. This can be quite tricky.
2. Trim off the fins with a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen scissors
3. Make a cut down the belly of the fish and remove its guts.
4. Once completely removed give the fish a good rinse inside and out
5. Make a cut from just behind the head of the fish and push the knife down gently until you reach the back bone.
6. Now cut lengthways across the fish until you reach the tail. You may have to cut through some bone so try rocking the knife slightly but keeping a steady fluid motion applying just enough pressure to move the knife to the tail
7. Bring the knife out at the tail and you should have your first fillet
8. Turn the fish over and repeat steps 5 to 7.

Article written by Dave Hamilton. Dave has now left Selfsufficientish but you can catch up with him on davehamilton.me.uk or on twitter @davewildish