Baked Ocean Trout with Mushrooms

Name: Baked Ocean Trout with Mushrooms
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 x 400g piece ocean trout fillet, skin on, pin-boned; 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1 clove garlic, peeled; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; Salt flakes, to taste; 50g butter, diced; 200g Savoy cabbage, finely sliced; 150g mushrooms; 2 tablespoons dry white wine; Crusty bread, for serving

This recipe is inspired by my friend Alessandro Pavoni, and the time we spent together in northern Italy researching for A Lombardian Cookbook. Catching freshwater fish (like trout) and foraging for mushrooms are both popular pastimes in northern Italy, and the fruits of these activities come together deliciously in this simple dish of baked ocean trout with mushrooms. Use whatever mushrooms are available just as they do in Italy, I love wild pine mushrooms or slippery jacks when they’re in season, otherwise I use something meaty like chestnut, king brown or Swiss brown mushrooms, or a mixture. Serve a simple radicchio salad with this baked trout if you like (see video below). And in the glass, I enjoy a light pinot noir, like Clowns in the Rain from the Yarra Valley. The slight earthiness and herbal notes marry with the mushrooms and cabbage and the red fruit balances the richness of the trout and butter beautifully.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 x 400g piece ocean trout fillet, skin on, pin-boned
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes, to taste
50g butter, diced
200g Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
150g mushrooms
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Crusty bread, for serving

Method

Remove fish from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
Wipe skin with paper towel to ensure it’s dry and remove any remaining scale.
Check for bones and place in a shallow bowl skin side down.
Chop parsley and garlic together and mix with the oil and a teaspoon of crushed salt flakes.
Pour over the fish, spreading it all over the flesh, and set aside for 30 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C.
Use a little of the butter to grease a baking dish.
Shave cabbage finely, discarding any thick stems, and spread it out in the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and spread on top of the cabbage.
Dot vegetables with remaining butter, adding extra to the outer edges that won’t be covered by the fish to help prevent them drying out.
Pour wine over the top.
Place fish on top, skin side up, pouring any of the marinade left in the bowl over it.
Place in the oven and cook for 15–20 minutes, until fish is cooked to your liking. Then turn on overhead grill for 3–5 minutes to crisp skin.
Remove from oven, set aside for a few minutes then serve with crusty bread.