Eat IN BED: Wood-fired Rainbow Trout with François Poulard at Chiswick Woollahra
Images by Andrew Butler
Chiswick is a Sydney institution. Well-loved for its extensive kitchen gardens, a meal eaten at Chiswick is always framed by greenery, the menu celebrating the seasons and the garden’s daily bounty. Midwinter, the rows display a wealth of root and cruciferous vegetables and herbs.
François wears an IN BED linen apron in navy.
Table dressed using an IN BED linen napkin in stone.
The Recipe
Whole wood-fired rainbow trout, lemon, capers, burnt butter "This dish really reminds me of a dish my grandmother use to make during my childhood. She used skate fish at the time. We call the sauce a burnt butter sauce here at Chiswick but in France, we'd call this "black eye butter".
This dish really reminds me of a dish my grandmother use to make during my childhood. She used skate fish at the time. We call the sauce a burnt butter sauce here at Chiswick but in France, we'd call this "black eye butter.
Ingredients:
1 whole rainbow trout butterflied and pin boned (500g whole weight)
Toasted almond flakes 30g
Unsalted butter 50g
Capers in vinegar 20g
Lemon juice 20ml
Broccolini
Olive oil
Table salt
Pepper
Method:
Burnt butter
In a warm copper pot, gently melt the butter, continuously stirring until the butter is lightly browned. Remove from the heat, add lemon juice and capers. Set your burnt butter aside.
In a warm copper pot, gently melt the butter, continuously stirring until the butter is lightly browned.
Broccolini
Chop the broccolini into 1cm pieces then blanch them in salted boiling water and set aside.
Fish
- Dry the skin of the trout with absorbing paper to avoid the oil spitting. This will also help the skin to retain crispy and to not stick to the pan.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper.
- In a non-stick pan, fry the fish in a little bit of olive oil on a medium heat (skin down).
- Once the fish is placed in the pan, do not move the fish at all. You won’t need to flip it either at any time.
- Keep an eye on the colour of the fish to check on how it is cooking.
- Once it’s turning slightly white, remove the fish from the pan and place on your plate.
- Garnish with the blanched broccolini and toasted almond flakes.
- Dress generously with the burnt butter.
- Eat straight away and enjoy!