Pan Fried Trout with Jamón  trucha con jamón

Serves 4 

Olive oil

8 slices of jamón, serrano is fine. 

2 rainbow trout, gutted and cleaned (about 300g each)

about 50g plain flour

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated

1 good spoonful of butter

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Fine lemon slices from the other half

4 lemons or limes halved

1/4 bunch of thyme

chopped parsley

salt and pepper

preheat your oven to 200C

Chop 4 of the jamón slices into small pieces. Set aside.

Wash and dry the trout, season the cavity with a small amount of salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the flour to give it a light coat. Place a couple slices of lemon and one slice jamón inside the cavity of each fish.

Heat some oil in a heavy based fry pan over a medium heat, and place the whole garlic cloves, thyme and lemon halves and fry until aromatic and well caramelised.  Remove garlic cloves, thyme and lemon and place on the oven tray.

Place the fish in the pan and fry for about 2 minutes on each side. The skin should be nice and golden brown: transfer to the oven tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Put the pan to the side.

Remove the fish from the oven and cover the tray in foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.

To make the sauce place the pan over a high heat and fry the reserved, chopped slices of  jamón and fry until crispy;  turn down the heat and add the sliced garlic and butter. Fry until the butter turns nut brown (this burnt butter sauce is known as mantequilla quemada).  

Take the pan off the heat and add the fresh lemon juice, a squeeze of the roasted lemons, and a squeeze some of the roasted garlic (to taste), parsley and stir. Place the fish on a platter or plates and spoon over the sauce.

Serve simply with a green leaf salad and a glass of sherry or a naturally fermented wine - a bit of funk certainly cleanses the palette!