This was second course at the February supper club and a lovely new project for me: home-cured gravadlax trout. The process is actually really simple, albeit a little time consuming. Worth the wait, I cured two sides of trout, bought at local CP fishmonger Fishmongers Plaice for my supper club of 20 people, but here is a swifter recipe that just serves four.
Serves 4
20g fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed juniper berries
50g caster sugar, plus 1 tsp
50g sea salt flakes
200g raw trout fillet
1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
rye bread, to serve
lemon wedges, for garnish
2 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
–
Mix together two thirds of the dill, juniper berries, caster sugar, salt and white peppercorns in a bowl.
Lay out a double layer of cling film on a clean work surface and place the trout on top. Coat the trout with half the dill mixture. Turn the fish over by manoeuvring the cling film, then coat the other side of the fish with the remaining dill mixture. Wrap and place in an oven tray and place a plate with a 400g tin on it to weigh it down. Chill for 12 hours then turn the fish over and replace the weight. Chill for another 12 hours.
Scrape off the salt and place the fish on a plate. Chill for 4 hour to dry out, then it is ready to slice. At this point, the fish will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, if you are not going to use it straightaway.
To make the honey mustard cream, in a small bowl, mix together the creme fraiche, honey, and mustard.
Slice the fish thinly and serve with the rye bread, a wedge of lemon and a spoonful of the honey mustard cream.
–
