Oven-baked salmon trout with chard

Whole salmon trout with lemon and dill, baked in the oven on a bed of tender Swiss chard. Shallots, garlic and lemon zest give the vegetables a mild, fresh flavour.

Serves: 4 people
Preparation: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking: approximately 40–50 minutes
Total time: approximately 60–70 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 whole salmon trout, cleaned, each approximately 700–900 g
• 800 g–1 kg Swiss chard, weighed before trimming
• 2 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 lemons
• 1 large bunch of dill
• 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
• 25 g butter
• salt
• black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven
   Preheat the oven to 200 °C conventional or 180 °C fan. Have a large ovenproof dish ready in which both fish fit side by side without overlapping.
2. Prepare the Swiss chard
   Wash the Swiss chard thoroughly and drain well. Remove any damaged parts and the dry ends of the stalks. Cut the stalks into small pieces and roughly chop the leaves. Keep the stalks and leaves separate.
3. Chop the aromatics
   Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash and dry the lemons. Cut one lemon into thin slices. Finely grate only the yellow part of the other lemon's peel, then cut it into wedges.
4. Divide the dill
   Wash the dill and pat dry. Set aside a few sprigs for finishing and finely chop them. Use the remaining sprigs for the cavities of the fish.
5. Prepare the fish
   Pat the salmon trout dry inside and out. Make two to three shallow cuts in the skin on each side. Season the cavities with a little salt and pepper and fill them with the lemon slices and dill.

Method

1. Soften the shallots
   Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the butter in a large pan. Gently cook the shallots over a low to medium heat for approximately 3–4 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add and cook the garlic and stalks
   Add the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds without letting it colour. Add the Swiss chard stalks and cook for 2–3 minutes.
3. Wilt the leaves
   Add the Swiss chard leaves in batches and stir until wilted. Allow any excess liquid to evaporate over a medium heat until no liquid remains at the bottom of the pan. The Swiss chard will finish cooking in the oven.
4. Season the Swiss chard
   Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and black pepper.
5. Fill the ovenproof dish
   Spread the Swiss chard over the ovenproof dish. Rub the outside of the fish with the remaining 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Place them side by side on the Swiss chard.
6. Cook the salmon trout
   Place the dish in the centre of the oven. Allow approximately 25–35 minutes and start checking after 25 minutes. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the flesh of both fish, without touching the bone. Cook to a core temperature of 63 °C. The flesh should no longer be translucent and should flake easily. If necessary, extend the cooking time by a few minutes and check again.
7. Finish and serve
   Scatter the reserved dill over the fish. Carefully divide the fish flesh into four portions and remove the backbone and any visible bones. Serve with the Swiss chard, the juices from the dish and the lemon wedges. Watch out for any remaining fine bones when eating.

Serving

Delicious with boiled potatoes, oven-roasted baby potatoes, mashed potatoes or bread. Their preparation is not included in the recipe timings.