Ondenval’s trout, in a spicy sweetness

I’ve already talked a few times in the french version of the website about the Ondenval’s trout, which has reconciled me with fresh trout I was used to dislike because of muddy taste. I’ve bought one during a trip in Liège because a wanted to comfit it, as it’s done for salmon, in a recipe with a lot of homegrowned vegetables.

The recipe, including kohlrabi, potatoes, turnips and leeps, has the goal to mix piquant flavour and sweet textures to counterbalance each part. Ham from Nassogne gives the salted touch to the plate, which is highly appreciated by the trout.

Ingredients

2 trout’s fillets
5 small turnips
1kohlravi
2 potatoes
3 summer’s leeks
10cl rapeseed oil
2cl white dry wine
2cl white wine vinegar
a bit of butter
5gr mustard
20gr Ham from Magerotte
Salt

Recipe

Turnips and Oil

Put the washed turnips in a small saucepan, cut some if needed in order to limitate the height of the turnips in the pan. Cover with oil and add 2gr of salt. Cook 1h in the oven at 110°c. Separate oil and turnips and keep both.

Potatoes and kohlrabi

Cut a small kohlrabi and 2 potatoes with the mandolin, then, with a  cookie cutter alternate layers with kohlrabi and potatoes (40mm diameter, 5cm heights per person). Add a bit of butter and salt, roll with a plastic wrap dedicated to heat and cook it 20 min in water at 85°c. Try to make the cooking end just 10 minutes before serving the dish.

Leeks mayonnaise

Chop finely 3 summer’s leeks (+-250gr), pour in the Thermomix bowl and add 5cl rapeseed oil, 2cl dry white wine, 2cl white wine vinegar, 1gr salt, 5gr mustard. Cook at 100°c, speed 1, during 20minutes and finish by mixing full power during around 1 minute. Pass through a sieve then add 4 grains (crushed) of Black Pepper “Noble de Madagascar”.

Ondenval’s trout

Do a mirepoix with 20gr of Nassogne’s ham (Magerotte). Separate fillets with the skin. Comfit the trout 15min at 40°c with “turniped oil” and a bit of ham. Soak quickly 2 kohlrabi’s slices in the oil. During this time, make the 2 trout’skin crunchy in the pan with a few oil.

Finish and presentation

Do 2 kohlrabi’s raviolis with a bit of ham. Put the fish on the plate, the potato/kohlrabi pile and slide it in order to make a line. Cut the turnips in quarters and put somes in the plate, finish with mayonnaise and the trout’s skin.

Wine or Beer pairing

As wine pairing I would go to a Chablis wine. I like a lot the Côte de Léchet Chablis, which have minerality and floral aromatic I love. They are normally not too extravagant but always the maturity which make the good balance between richness and nervosity. The good balance is really important for that plate because the line between too rich and too acid wine is weak. The minerality, in an aromatic view, makes the pairing with leeks with a lot of happiness.

If you prefer to go for a beer (what a good choice!) which can lead to a great food pairing, I would suggest to go to a Rulles Blonde. The bitterness and the piquant of some parts of the plates pair really narurally, and some herbal aromas too.  The relative richness of the beer, and the “dry persistance” make this beer a smart companion to the plate!