Ocean trout crosta with salsa verde

Recipe by Smeg Chef Elke Travers

Serves 10

Succulent ocean trout stuffed with meltingly tender leek and fennel wrapped in golden pastry is cooked with the fan assisted function – heat from top and bottom with the fan – for even browning and cooking.

40g butter

1 leek, sliced finely

1 fennel bulb, sliced finely

1 small bunch sage, leaves finely sliced

4 sheets puff pastry

1 cup dried sourdough breadcrumbs

1.5kg ocean trout fillet, skin and bones removed

1 egg yolk, beaten

Salt & pepper

Salsa verde

1 bunch flat leaf parsley

1 lemon, zested and juiced

¼ cup caperberries

1 clove garlic

250ml extra virgin olive oil

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add leek, fennel and sage and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened and caramelised.  Cool.

Place two sheets of pull pastry on a floured work surface. Sprinkle with half of the breadcrumbs and top with ocean trout.  Spoon caramelised fennel and leek mixture over ocean trout, sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.  Top with remaining puff pastry, press to seal, brush with beaten egg yolk and chill for 10 minutes. 

Set oven to fan assisted function and pre-heat to 220⁰C.

Bake ocean trout in crosta for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden.  Serve sliced with salsa verde.

To make salsa verde, combine all ingredients in a Smeg hand blender food processor and pulse until combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe created with the Smeg Classic Compact Combi-steam oven.