Baked Sea Trout in a Herb Salt Crust, served with Ratatouille
| Published: 27th March 2008 20:57 |
Traditionally the pastry in a pie was there only to protect the meat and was not eaten. This method of cooking is particularly suited to fish as the fish ‘steams' inside the pastry in its own juices, resulting in a succulently delicious fish. Adding herbs to the crust infuses Mediterranean flavours into the fish as it cooks. Perfect with a rich fresh provincial ratatouille.
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the salt crust
250g Fine salt
400g Coarse Salt
1kg plain flour
2 Eggs
400ml Lukewarm water
200g Dill, parsley, tarragon and chervil, coarsely chopped
1 Egg, beaten for brushing
2-3kg Sea Trout, cleaned and scaled
1 Orange, finely sliced
For the ratatouille
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped (use 1/2 a can if you can't find any early tomatoes)
1 Medium courgette, roughly chopped
1 Small aubergine, roughly chopped
1 Red onion, finely diced and
1 Green pepper, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 orange, rind only, peeled with a potato peeler
Olive oil
dash of vermouth
Method
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and work together to create a dough, be careful not to over work.
2. Place into the fridge to rest for about 2 hours, or over night.
3. Remove the head from the fish. Make an incision from the back bone on ether side of the bone and remove the whole bone leaving the belly intact. Repeat on the other side so that you have two large fillets.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and gently cook all the vegetables and garlic for the ratatouille until softened, but not coloured.
5. Add the tomato purée and cook for a few minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 200oC/gas 6. Roll out the salt crust 1/2cm thick and large enough to envelope your fish fillets. Lay half of the orange slices on the pastry to sit your fillet on.
7. Lay one of the fillets on the orange covered pastry skin side down, top with the ratatouille and season, place the remaining fillet on top and gently press down.
8. Make a few slashes in the skin of the fish, place a slice of orange in each one. Drizzle with olive oil and the vermouth.
10. Wrap the fish up in the pastry sealing the edges well, brush with the beaten egg.
11. Place the fish on a greased baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
12. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve with buttered new potatoes.
What do you think?
You will need to sign in to post a comment to this article. if you do not have an AboutMyArea account, you can join now for free.
