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Sugar-cured trout with cornbread blinis

Preparation time
overnight

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 2

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the sugar-cured trout

  • 400g/14oz sea trout fillet, pin-boned
  • 50g/1¾oz salt
  • 60g/2¼oz sugar
  • 1 lime, zest and juice

For the fennel salad

  • 2 tbsp cucumber, cut into dice
  • 1 tbsp fennel, cut into dice
  • 1 tbsp diced apple
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 150ml/5fl oz olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cornbread muffins

  • 200ml/7fl oz milk
  • 2 free-range eggs, beaten
  • 30g/1oz butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 50g/1¾oz polenta
  • 40g/1½oz strong bread flour
  • pinch sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 1 lemon, juice only

For the oil-poached sea trout slices

  • 300ml/10fl oz olive oil
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 black peppercorns
  • 2 thin slices sea trout, pin-boned, each about 100g/3½oz
  • 150g/5½oz crème fraîche, to serve

Method

  1. To make the sugar-cured trout, place the fish fillet in a non-metallic dish. Mix together the salt, sugar and lime zest and juice and spread the mixture over the flesh of the fish. Cover the dish in cling film and place a board on top, weighing it down with a couple of tins. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

  2. After curing, remove, rinse briefly and slice into small chunks. Mix in a bowl with all the fennel salad ingredients, season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to serve.

  3. To make the blinis, melt the butter and place in a bowl with the milk and eggs. Beat well. Place the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl, create a well in the centre and pour in the liquid. Mix together lightly until just combined and there are no lumps. Heat a frying pan until hot and add a drizzle of oil. Spoon small dollops of the batter into the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side.

  4. To make the oil-poached slices, gently warm the olive oil in a deep saucepan with the coriander seeds, star anise and peppercorns. When the oil reaches around 40C, slide in the fish slices and remove from the heat. Allow to poach for around 5–6 minutes, turning the slices over midway through, until they have changed colour and are cooked through.

  5. Serve the fish slices with the sugar-cured trout salad, blinis and the crème fraîche.

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