It's not just trout that respond well to this kind of treatment. Snapper, salmon and blue cod are particularly good cooked whole. There is something special about fish cooked on the bone; the flavour seems deeper and the flesh more tender. The use of the Japanese ingredient miso adds a mild, malty but subtle seasoning. It's a decent dish, and one that may convince my mother-in-law to start speaking to me again.
Ingredients
| 1 | Fish, large whole, scaled and gutted (Main) |
| 50 g | Unsalted butter |
| 2 sprigs | Rosemary |
| 3 | Bacon rashers |
| 1 to taste | Salt |
Mayonnaise
| 3 | Garlic cloves |
| 1 to taste | Salt |
| 1 Tbsp | Miso paste, blond (Main) |
| 2 | Free-range egg yolks |
| 300 ml | Grapeseed oil |
| 1 Tbsp | Sesame oil |
| ½ | Lemons, juiced |
Directions
- Heat the oven to 220C - this may seem hot, but the skin needs to be crisp and the flesh succulently tender.
- Place the fish on a piece of baking paper, with the rosemary sprigs and butter inside the belly.
- Season inside and out with salt. Do not use pepper. Wrap the bacon rashers around the fish and place in a roasting dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the skin is crisp and the flesh is translucent and can be easily pulled away from the bone.
- Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes before serving with the mayonnaise.
- To make the dressing, peel the garlic and place in a food processor bowl with a good pinch of salt.
- Blend until finely chopped, then add the miso paste and egg yolks. Keep the motor running and slowly pour in the grapeseed oil until the mayonnaise begins to thicken.
- You can now add the sesame oil and lemon juice. Continue mixing until all the oil is used and the mayonnaise is thick. Add salt and pepper if required.
