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Truite à l'ardennaise
Truite à l'ardennaise: Ardennes pan-fried trout with crisp strips of Ardennes ham
BelgianThe rivers of the Belgian Ardennes, the Semois, the Ourthe and the Lesse, are trout country, and every inn in Bouillon and La Roche serves truite à l'ardennaise: a whole trout fried in butter until golden and finished with strips of jambon d'Ardenne, the smoked, cured pork ham of the region, crisped in the same pan. This dish contains pork. It is served with boiled potatoes or fries and a green salad. A common mistake is adding the ham at the start, which makes it hard and salty. Chef's tip: dust the trout with seasoned flour so the skin crisps, and add the ham only for the last 2 minutes. The trout is done when the flesh is opaque and lifts off the backbone.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the trout
- 2 whole troutabout 350 g each, gutted
- 2 tbsp rice flour or cornflour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 ¾ oz butter
- 2 ⅞ oz Ardennes ham or other smoked cured hamcut into strips
- ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 lemonin wedges
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pat 2 whole trout dry. Mix 2 tbsp rice flour or cornflour, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and dust the fish all over.
Step 2: Melt 1 ¾ oz butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat until foaming. Fry the trout for 6–7 minutes per side, until golden and the flesh is opaque and lifts off the backbone.
14 minStep 3: Add 2 ⅞ oz Ardennes ham or other smoked cured ham to the pan for the last 2 minutes, turning until crisp. Common mistake: adding it early; it goes hard and salty.
2 minStep 4: Scatter with ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley and serve with the pan butter and 1 lemon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does truite à l'ardennaise take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of rice flour or cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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