Pancetta-wrapped Trout with Honey Balsamic Salad

By cookism

Hey y’all fellow foodies!This recipe is all about paying homage to the best of surf and turf, and we feel that a beautiful, tenderly cooked trout embraced by crispy rashers of pancetta does so best. What makes the pancetta-wrapped trout even more awesome is how it is such a treat to the senses and oozing finesse without really putting in a ton of work, and paired with our homemade honey balsamic salad, this is one of those sophisticated dishes put together with effortless simplicity that we simply love. Hope you love it as much as we do! x

(Pancetta-wrapped trout recipe courtesy of Barney Desmazery)

Ingredients

• For Pancetta-wrapped Trout:
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Rainbow Trouts (cleaned and descaled)
• 1 Clove of Minced Garlic
• Large Bunch of Thyme
• 4 Slices of Pancetta
• 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
• For Cookism’s Honey Balsamic Salad:
• 120 g Greens of Your Choice
• 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
• 100 g of King Oyster Mushroom (chopped into bite-sized strips)
• Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
• 2 Spigs of Thyme
• A Few Squeezes of Lemon Juice
• Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette:
• 2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tbsp of Honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 Cup of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan or 200C/Gas 7. Cut half of the lemon into 4 thin slices, reserving the other half for serving and the salad. Score each fish 3 times on one side.
2. Season each fish with salt and black pepper inside out. Stuff each cavity with garlic and a sprig of thyme (fold them into half to fit). Lay generous sprigs of thyme along the trout and top it up with two slices of lemon. Wrap two slices of pancetta around, holding thyme and lemon in place. Tuck the ends of the pancetta under the bottom of the trout to secure. Repeat steps on the other fish. Transfer trouts onto a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper. Drizzle olive oil over trouts and bake for 20 minutes until pancetta is golden and fish is cooked.
3. While the trouts are baking, make honey balsamic vinaigrette by just combining all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Next, sauté the mushrooms in a large pan of olive oil over medium heat. Lay them in an even layer and season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to brown, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, cut leftover lemon into 3 wedges and reserve 2 wedges for serving. Stir in thyme leaves and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Stir and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and allow the mushroom to cool slightly.
4. Combine greens, mushroom and the dressing in a large bowl. Toss well and season with salt and black pepper if needed. Serve trouts with salad and lemon. Squeeze lemon over each trout and feast on!