Baked Trout and Potatoes with a Crème Fraiche, Walnut, and Horseradish Sauce

Although onboard our cruises, we only serve fillets of fish. Here is the opportunity to try a delicious fish on the bone. This gives a more intense flavor that fillets.

There are many species of trout, and even more populations, that are isolated from each other and morphologically different. However, since many of these distinct populations show no significant genetic differences, what may appear to be a large number of species is considered a much smaller number of distinct species by most ichthyologists. The trout found in the eastern United States are a good example of this. The brook trout, the aurora trout, and the (extinct) silver trout all have physical characteristics and colorations that distinguish them, yet genetic analysis shows that they are one species, Salvelinus fontinalis.

BAKED TROUT AND POTATOES WITH A CRÈME FRAICHE, WALNUT AND HORSERADISH SAUCE

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 whole trout, approx. 1 lb each each, gutted and scaled
  • 1 heaped tbsp grated fresh horseradish
  • 1 pint crème fraiche
  • 2 handfuls of fresh walnuts, shelled and crushed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Optional
  • Herbs
  • 1 lemon, sliced

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/gas9. Dry your sliced potatoes with kitchen paper and lightly coat in olive oil. Season and place in a single layer in a large roasting tray. Place on a low oven shelf and roast for around 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Meanwhile pat the trout dry them with a sharp knife slash each fish at an angle on both sides – this will allow the heat and seasoning to penetrate. Rub with olive oil and seasoning. For extra flavor you can stuff the fish with fragrant herbs that you may have in the kitchen plus some lemon slices too. Cook for around 12 minutes at the top of the oven until crisp and golden.
  2. As the fish is in the oven prepare the sauce. Fresh grated horseradish is the best, if not you can also use the creamed horseradish bought in jars. Mix the horseradish in a bowl with the crème fraiche and the walnuts and season well. Squeeze over some lemon juice to taste.
  3. Serve with the seasoned crème fraiche.