There’s only one way to describe this seared ocean trout with piperade basquaise & lemon – and that’s seariously tasty
“The simplicity of a perfectly cooked piece of fish with sweet, slow-cooked vegetables is hard to beat. I learned this recipe for piperade basquaise while working at Daniel in New York. It is so versatile and delicious.”
Ingredients
• 1 x 300g ocean trout fillet, skin on, pin boned
• 2 lemon wedges
For the Piperade Basquaise:
• 1 red capsicum
• 1 yellow capsicum
• 2 tomatoes, blanched and peeled
• 100ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 brown onions, julienned
• 4 garlic cloves, julienned
• 4 thyme sprigs
Method
For the piperade basquaise:
1 Peel the capsicums using a vegetable peeler. Cut the flesh off the sides, in three or four large pieces from each capsicum, away from the inner seeds.
2 Remove the white ribs from the inside, then thinly slice each capsicum piece lengthways into long strips.
3 Cut the tomatoes into quarters, then cut the flesh into fillets, away from the seeds and inner core. Thinly slice the fillets.
4 Warm the olive oil in a wide-based saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme, and also a pinch of sea salt to help the onion soften.
5 Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion and garlic are very soft but have no colour to them.
6 Add the capsicum and cook for another 20–30 minutes, until it is very soft. Now add the tomato and cook for about 10 minutes longer.
7 Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If planning to use the mixture the following day, leave the thyme sprigs in until you plan to serve it, and gently reheat before serving.
For the trout:
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2 Heat a non-stick ovenproof frying pan over medium–high heat. Season the fish well with salt and pepper and rub with a little olive oil.
3 Place the fish in the pan, skin side down, and cook for 4–5 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 4–5 minutes, or until the fish is medium–rare.
4 Remove from the oven and gently turn the fish over with a spatula. The skin should be golden and crisp.
5 Spread or pile the warm piperade on the middle of a large plate. Place the fish on top and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Serve with the lemon wedges.
Recipe courtesy of Daniel Wilson, extracted from Huxtabook. Photography by Chris Middleton © Hardie Grant.
