Makes 6
You can eat this dish at any time of the day. A potato ricer for the mashing and small rösti pans for the cooking will give that special presentation, but you can make the cakes any size you like. If you can’t get fresh trout, this dish also works well using smoked fish.
INGREDIENTS
2 trout fillets, skin on (or substitute sockeye salmon or sea bass of you can’t get fresh trout)
1 large potato (try red norland, dutch cream or any good mashing potato)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
vegetable oil, for frying
METHOD
1 Place the trout fillets on paper towel on a plate and refrigerate until ready to use.
2 Place the potato in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook until the potato is tender. Remove and drain well.
3 Using a potato ricer, squeeze the potato into a bowl. Add the egg and milk and stir through, then add the flour and chives. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
4 Heat a little vegetable oil in a small frying pan or rÖsti pan over high heat. Place heaped tablespoons of the potato mixture in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes each side.
5 To check, press down on the cakes – you will be able to feel if they’re not ready. Repeat with remaining mixture.
6 Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over high heat. Rub the trout with oil, salt and pepper and place it in the pan skin-side down. Trout doesn’t take long to cook; the longer you leave it on the skin side the more moisture the fish will hold.
7 Place pieces of the trout fillets on the potato cakes, top with dollops of crème fraîche and serve straight away.
Recipe and image from The Gourmet Farmer Goes Fishing by Matthew Evans, Nick Haddow and Ross O’Meara, published by Murdoch Books.
