- Extra virgin olive oil
- 8 x 200g/7oz trout fillets
- 1 good handful of almonds, blanched
- 1 bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
- 1 ciabatta, preferably stale
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 16 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
- 4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 5 tablespoons crème fraîche or fromage frais
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 and rub a roasting tray with a little olive oil. Lay 4 of the trout fillets, skin-side down, on the tray, with a few bits of string under each fillet. Lightly toast the almonds in the oven for a couple of minutes — watch them carefully as they don’t take long — then bash them up using a pestle and mortar (or a metal bowl and a rolling pin). Try to get some powdery and some chunks. Put the almonds into a bowl and rip in the mint. Take the crusts off the ciabatta and whizz it up in a food processor or chop up. Add the lemon zest, chopped garlic, artichoke hearts and 5 tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it up well and sprinkle a good handful of the mix over each trout fillet. Place the other 4 fillets on top of the breadcrumb mix, skin-side up, laying a bacon rasher along the top of each one, and secure with the string (see picture below). Sprinkle the thyme over the top and any excess filling around the tray.
- Place in the middle of the preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes, until the trout is golden and crisp. Season the crème fraîche generously with salt and pepper and add a little lemon juice.
- When the fish is ready, cut the string and serve the fillets with a nice drizzle of crème fraîche and a green salad. Give everyone a lemon half on their plate so they can squeeze the juice over their fish.