Roasted Trout and Artichokes with Almonds, Breadcrumbs and Mint

Updated March 02, 2022

This image courtesy of David Loftus

Editor’s Note: Learn how to roast a whole trout with this recipe for Roasted Trout and Artichokes with Almonds, Breadcrumbs and Mint. This baked trout recipe features a crispy skin that is complemented by a delicious bread crumb topping with lemon, garlic, and artichokes. A drizzle of crème fraîche helps elevate this baked trout into a special dish fit for any occasion.

I used to go trout-fishing with Grandad when I was a kid. We would catch them, then go straight back to his pub and grill them with a little bit of butter. I liked to eat them with fried potatoes with onions — so good — and a nice squeeze of lemon juice. I came up with this recipe using preserved artichoke hearts from my local deli. In the picture I’ve used one large 8lb trout, but it works just as well if you use individual trout fillets. Salmon trout or salmon are both good too. Ask your fishmonger to scale, gut and fillet the fish for you.

Serves4

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Dietary ConsiderationEgg-free, Gluten-free, Peanut Free, Soy Free

EquipmentFood Processor, Mortar And Pestle

Five Ingredients or LessYes

Taste and TextureCrisp, Herby, Light, Nutty, Salty, Savory

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
8 x 200g/7oz trout fillets
1 good handful of almonds, blanched
1 bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 ciabatta, preferably stale
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
16 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
5 tablespoons crème fraîche or fromage frais

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 and rub a roasting tray with a little olive oil. Lay 4 of the trout fillets, skin-side down, on the tray, with a few bits of string under each fillet. Lightly toast the almonds in the oven for a couple of minutes — watch them carefully as they don’t take long — then bash them up using a pestle and mortar (or a metal bowl and a rolling pin). Try to get some powdery and some chunks. Put the almonds into a bowl and rip in the mint. Take the crusts off the ciabatta and whizz it up in a food processor or chop up. Add the lemon zest, chopped garlic, artichoke hearts and 5 tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it up well and sprinkle a good handful of the mix over each trout fillet. Place the other 4 fillets on top of the breadcrumb mix, skin-side up, laying a bacon rasher along the top of each one, and secure with the string (see picture below). Sprinkle the thyme over the top and any excess filling around the tray.
Place in the middle of the preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes, until the trout is golden and crisp. Season the crème fraîche generously with salt and pepper and add a little lemon juice.
When the fish is ready, cut the string and serve the fillets with a nice drizzle of crème fraîche and a green salad. Give everyone a lemon half on their plate so they can squeeze the juice over their fish.