Whole stuffed baked trout with caper butter

Comforting memories create comforting food. Our son Thomas loves fishing and one of the very first fish he caught, when he was about ten years old, was a sea trout. He was so very proud and we cooked the fish fresh from the sea. This recipe also works well with sea bass.  

Serves 4

Prepare ahead Can be prepared, ready for the oven, 6 hours ahead.

2 small to medium pink trout, gutted, cleaned and oven ready

parsley stalks

1 lemon, thinly sliced

olive oil, for drizzling

salt and freshly ground

black pepper

For the caper butter

25g (1oz) butter, softened

1 tbsp chopped capers

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped chives

zest of ½ lemon

•  Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

•  To make the caper butter, measure the butter into a bowl, add the capers, herbs, lemon zest and seasoning and mash with a fork.

•  Make three equal slashes in one side of each trout and fill the slashes with caper butter. Fill the bellies of the fish with parsley stalks and lemon slices. 

• Place the fish on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little oil. Bake the fish for 15-20 minutes until the flesh has turned opaque pink and is just cooked. Remove and leave to rest for a few minutes.

•  Peel off the skin and carefully lift each fillet off the bone. Serve warm in large pieces with any remaining caper butter spooned over, and green vegetables and new potatoes or salad.