Ingrédients
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 10 mint leaves, chopped
- 2 tsp floral honey
- 3 drops lemon juice
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- One 12 oz / 340g whole rainbow trout, gutted, head on
- 4 tsp unsalted butter, thinly sliced
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs dill
- 2¼ lb / 1kg coarse sea salt, with more for sprinkling
- ⅓ cup / 80ml cold water, or as needed
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, mint, honey, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper and stir to incorporate. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Wash both the outside and the cavity of the trout under running water. Thoroughly pat it dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the cavity with kosher salt and pepper and then arrange the butter, lemon, and dill inside. Fold the opening closed, gently pressing the fish from both sides with your hands. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the coarse sea salt and slowly stir in the water until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Spread half of the salt mixture in the center of the prepared baking sheet to create an even layer about ½ inch / 1.5cm thick and the length of the fish. Place the trout on the salt, then cover evenly with the remaining salt (leave the tail fin uncovered). Carefully pat the salt mound with your palm, making sure there are no gaps.
- Bake the fish until the salt crust is lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest until the crust cools a bit, about 5 minutes. Then, using a knife, break the crust near the fish head and gently unfold the skin to gain access to the meat.
- Serve the fish immediately with the carrot salad.
Notes du Cuisinier
For diners unfamiliar with whole fish, guide them to first eat the meat from the top side of the fish, then use their fingers to remove the entire spine by pulling it up from the tail end in one steady move. They can then continue to eat the remaining fillet.
Description
with Carrot and Mint Salad
Once the weather had improved enough for us to resume our journey, we set out from Hindarsfjall for the port of An Skellig. It was there I sought out a meal recommended to me during my time in Novigrad. With an eager belly, I quickly found my way through Urialla Harbor to a tavern known for this island's specialty—sturgeon roasted atop a sea-salt crust, served with a side of carrot shavings and mint. Alas, due to overfishing in the region, sturgeon had become a delicacy reserved for special occasions. So instead, I enjoyed the dish prepared with common trout. And yet ... through this unique, salt-heavy roasting method, the trout's flavor was anything but common. Delicious, tender, juicy flesh with the fragrant aromas of dill, butter, pepper, and lemon—the plate's lone exotic ingredient, imported from the warmest corners of the Continent. Although the fish and salad delighted me with perfect balance, the salt crust delighted all others at my table. For handling the dish proved an embarrassingly messy spectacle, though not an experience I shall ever regret.