NoMU recipes: smoked salt and peppercorn cured trout with hollandaise

Yes, you can cure your own trout and no, it’s really not as tricky as it sounds. Slap a salty rub onto a piece of beautiful fish and practice a little overnight patience et voilà! That’s it. Of course the key to a simple recipe like this one is using only the best ingredients, so we roped in the NoMU salt and peppers to do the job.

The NoMU smoked salt comes in handy as it infuses the fish with a delicate smoky flavour, which means homemade smoked trout without the fumes and fuss. And the best part? Any leftovers can be tossed through ribbon pasta with crème fraiche, snipped chives and chopped parsley for a tasty version 2.0 that’s equally impressive.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

For the fish

½ cup coarse sea salt
2 tbsp NoMU pink salt
2 tbsp NoMU smoked salt
2 tbsp castor sugar
1 tbsp NoMU rainbow pepper
1 tbsp water
1.5kg side of farmed trout, trimmed and pin-boned
A few sprigs of fresh fennel leaves

For the hollandaise sauce

2 egg yolks
1 and 1/2 tbsp good-quality white vinegar
250g unsalted butter, melted and warm
White pepper, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste

Extras

Sourdough toast

Method:

1. Mix the sea salt, pink salt, smoked salt, sugar and peppercorns together until combined – if you don’t have the NoMU grinders you may need to use a pestle and mortar. Add the water and mix well.
2. Place the trout on a non-metallic tray (like a glass or ceramic dish), so the fish doesn’t absorb that metallic taste, and rub with the salt mixture as well as the fennel. Cover with plastic wrap, place another tray on top of the trout and weigh the fish down with a few tins. The salt is they key to curing your fish, as it brings the juices to the surface, also ensuring that all your other flavours are distributed throughout, and the extra weight enhances this process.
3. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours but no more than 24 hours.
4. When you are nearly ready to eat, make your hollandaise sauce. Place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and whisk in the vinegar.
5. Cover the bottom of the bowl with a dish cloth and set it over a pan of gently simmering water (the bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water) and whisk in the butter a little at a time until all the butter has been added and the sauce is thick. The bowl should never be too hot to touch.

TIP: If you have a blender, blend the egg yolks and vinegar until combined. Gradually add the hot butter in a steady stream with the motor running until your sauce is thick and glossy.

6. Season with NoMU salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.

TIP: If the sauce is a little thick, simply thin it with a little warm water. If not serving immediately, cover the surface of the sauce with cling wrap and place in a warm place or over a bowl of warm water for not more than an hour or two.

7. To serve the fish, unwrap and gently wash off the cure mixture. Pat the fish dry and slice very thinly. Serve with the hollandaise sauce and crispy shards of sourdough toast.

Head this way to see the full NoMU range and try these other NoMU inspired recipes.