Blackened Speckled Trout, Shellfish Sauce Piquant, Crab Fat Popcorn Rice

Filleting the Trout

Start off with sourcing a local fish - for this recipe we will be using speckled trout. Using a sharp knife, begin by scaling and gutting the whole fish. Fillet both sides of the fish, place on a sheet pan and keep cool.

Remove and discard skin and all pin bones. With sharp scissors remove and discard the gills. Rinse carcass under cold water to remove all blood and debris.

Trim the fillet and reserve the trimmings in a chilled metal bowl. Using a spoon, scrape the carcass reserving flesh in the bowl. Cut the carcass into thirds, and split the head in half. Reserve the carcass for the sauce.

For the blackened mousseline

Place scraped flesh of trout in a food processor with the minced shrimp, heavy whipping cream, panko bread crumbs, blackening spice and egg white. Process for approximately 1 minute or until fully incorporated into a paste-like texture. Using a spatula, put the blackened mousseline in a piping bag and cut the tip to a 6.5mm diameter.

Preparing the blackened crust

Lay out a piece of plastic wrap over a flat surface. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and the top side of the fillet with blackening spice. Place the fillet on the plastic wrap, with the fillet on top. Using the mousseline in the piping bag, pipe uniform rows on top of the fillet, creating a 'crust'. While applying light-to-medium pressure, roll the fillet in plastic wrap and refrigerate for later use.

For the blackening spice

This makes enough to prepare this recipe twice, or sprinkle the leftovers on some grilled veggies!

Add all ingredients to a mortar bowl and grind with a pestle until fully incorporated.

For shellfish sauce piquant

Preparing the tomato puree - place quartered tomatoes and onions on an aluminium foiled sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and cook at 200℃ for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly charred. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Reserve tomato puree for later use.

Making the seafood stock

Using a cast iron pot, place heat to high and add 50g butter, and the fish carcass along with the shrimp shells and crabs. Begin to sauté until browned.

Add water and bay leaves, bring to a low boil. Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove crabs from stock to cool. Cook stock for an additional 5 minutes.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl, making sure to press as much liquid out as possible. Discard fish carcass and shrimp shells. Save seafood stock for the next step, which should be approximately 1L.

Clean the cooled crab making sure to scrape the head fat into a small container. Pick as much meat from the bodies and claws and reserve for plating up.

Creating the sauce piquant

Over medium-high heat, add 50g butter, diced onions, salt and cayenne pepper and begin to sweat for approximately five minutes, or until the onions begin to brown and turn translucent.

Add celery, green bell peppers, red bell peppers and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle flour over the sautéed vegetables, making sure there are no lumps.
Add garlic and 700g shellfish stock and bring to boil, reducing mixture by ⅓.

Add roasted tomato mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low for 45 minutes until the sauce cooks down and begins to thicken. Submerge your peeled & de-veined shrimp and cherry tomatoes into tomato sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes on a low heat, or until shrimp are cooked. Top with green onions and parsley.

For crab fat popcorn rice

In a small cast-iron pot, add butter, salt and rice. Toast until rice becomes fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
Add the crab head fat, and sauté for another minute.

Add the reserve shellfish stock, and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let cooked rice rest for five minutes

Using a fork, fluff rice and keep covered until ready to serve

For blackened speckled trout

Remove fish from the refrigerator and plastic wrap. Pat dry and season with blackening spice.

Place a cast-iron skillet over high heat, until the pan begins to smoke. Brush fish with melted butter and place in the centre of the skillet, quickly browning the mousseline crust, approximately 1-2 minutes. Once there is an established caramelised surface, flip the fish over for 1 minute

Place fish on an oven safe sheet pan at 70℃ oven for approximately 3-5 minutes. The blackened speckled trout should have an internal temperature of 50℃. Remove fish from the oven, let it rest on a paper towel for two minutes.

Plating

Assembly of the the Blackened Speckled Trout, Shellfish Sauce Piquant, Crab Fat Popcorn Rice

Arrange rice on the bottom of the plate, placing the fish on top. Arrange cherry tomatoes around and on top of the trout. Remove shrimp from sauce and arrange on the plate. Place the reserve crab meat and herbs to garnish. Pour 'sauce piquant' to the side or over the top of the blackened speckled trout.

The final dish. 

Discover more recipes like this one in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Cookbook