Packed full of flavour and with plenty of vitamins and minerals, this baked trout is a versatile main dish. Serve it as soon as the trout comes out of the oven, with new potatoes, or cold with country bread. If the latter, dress the salad just before serving.
Serves 4
If you want to add extra piquancy to this dish, serve it with a spoonful of chunky avocado salsa. To make the salsa, halve 1 ripe avocado and remove the stone (pit). Peel and dice the flesh and toss
in 5ml/1 tsp lemon juice, in a bowl, to prevent the avocado browning. Dice a 2.5cm/1in piece of cucumber and add to the avocado. Finely chop half a red chilli and stir well so that all the ingredients are combined. Cover with clear film (plastic wrap) until ready to serve.
To remove the stone from an avocado, cut the avocado in half lengthways, then tap the stone with the blade of a sharp knife. When you pull the knife away from the avocado the stone will come away from the flesh.
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/ Gas 4. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
2. Sprinkle the garlic and basil over the tomatoes and season well with black pepper. Drizzle 15ml/1 tbsp of the olive oil over and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. Using a spatula, move the tomato halves closer together, if necessary, to make room for the trout. Place the fillets on the baking tray. Return the tray to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
4. Test the fish with a fork to check it is cooked through: if the flesh flakes easily it is ready. Remove the baking tray from the oven.
5. Meanwhile, cut the avocados in half, remove the stone (pit) and peel, then slice the flesh length ways into fine pieces.
6. In a small jug (pitcher), whisk the lime juice with the remaining olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and plenty of ground black pepper.
7. Divide the watercress, land cress or rocket among four individual serving plates. Top with the avocado slices. Drizzle the lime dressing over.
8. Using a fish slice, lift the cooked trout fillets carefully off the baking tray and place them on a board.
9. Arrange the cooked tomatoes over the salad leaves and pour over any cooking juices that have accumulated on the baking parchment.
10. Flake the trout into bite size pieces and divide among the plates, arranging it attractively amongst the salad leaves. Garnish the plates with the lime wedges and serve.
