Sybil Kapoor's Butter Fried Trout with Home-made Chips

Don’t be put off by the length of this recipe; it’s actually very easy.  You can partially cook the chips ahead, so that the final cooking is very quick. Try serving these with a pretty mixed leaf salad.
 

Serves 4

4 large jacket potatoes
175g unsalted butter  
Corn oil for deep frying
4 x 265g gutted brown or rainbow trout
3 tablespoon plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, quartered

Peel the potatoes and cut into batons.  Soak in a large bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes to get rid of the excess starch.

Melt 115g butter in a small, heavy bottomed pan over a low heat for 10 minutes or until it throws up a pale froth. Do not let the butter colour.  Line a sieve with a clean, damp piece of muslin or J cloth.  Pour the melted (clarified) butter through the cloth into a small bowl, taking care to leave behind any milky dregs which are discarded. 

Preheat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 150˚C.  If you don’t have one, use a deep, wide, heavy saucepan and clip a thermometer on to the side. Fill one third with oil. 

Drain and thoroughly dry the chipped potatoes.  You will need to cook them in batches, the size of which will vary according to the size of your fryer.  Fry the first batch of chips for about 4 minutes or until they have a crisp uncoloured skin with a soft centre.  Remove from the oil, shake thoroughly and spread out to cool on some kitchen paper.  Repeat until all the chips are blanched.  Set aside.

Heat the oil to 180˚C.   Wash the trout to ensure that their gutted tummies are clean otherwise they can taste bitter.  Pat dry on kitchen paper and cut off their heads.   Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Set two large frying pans over a medium heat.  Once hot, divide the clarified butter between the two pans.  Quickly dip the trout into the seasoned flour, shake well and place two fish in each pan.  Fry over a medium heat for 2 minutes until lightly coloured, then turn the fish over and reduce the heat to low.  Continue to fry for 5 minutes, then turn over again and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the blanched chips in batches in the preheated oil for about 5 minutes or until golden and crisp.  Drain on kitchen paper, salt liberally and serve piled high with the trout.

Quickly wipe out one of the trout pans.  Add 50g fresh butter and melt then immediately pour over the plated fish.  Serve with lemon wedges.


From 1 August you can see further recipes on www.sybilkapoor.com