Steamed Salmon Trout

1.25 kg/21/2 lb salmon trout, cleaned
225 g/8 oz smoked lean back bacon, denuded
and cut into strips
100 g/4 oz mushrooms, roughly chopped
salt
freshly ground Hack pepper
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons white wine
1 large Cos lettuce, separated into leaves and
washed
600 nil/1 pint court bouillon (see page 87)
sprigs of fresh herbs, to garnish (e.g. dill,
fennel, chives, parsley)
Hollandaise sauce (optional):
225 g/8 oz polyunsaturated margarine
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash the trout under running water. Check that there is no blood along the inside of the backbone, and if there is remove all of it to prevent a bitter tasting end result. Mix the bacon and mushrooms together, season well, and use to stuff the fish.

Lay the fish in a shallow dish containing the lemon juice, olive oil and white wine. Turning once or twice, marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

Steam the lettuce leaves for 30 seconds to 1 minute, plunging them immediately afterwards into a bowl of iced water. Lay enough leaves, side by side and overlapping slightly, to completely blanket the whole fish. Lift the salmon trout front the marinade and wrap in the lettuce leaves, seasoning well as you go.

Bring the remaining marinade to the boil with the court bouillon. Place the lettuce parcel in a steamer above the pan. Cover well and steam for 20 minutes.

If you are making the hollandaise sauce, melt the margarine in a saucepan until it bubbles. Blend the egg yolks with the lemon juice in a blender or food processor, and season well with salt and pepper. Gradually pour in the margarine in a thin stream. When all of the margarine has beers incorporated, turn off the machine immediately. Pour the sand: into a bowl and place it on top ofa pan of hot water to warm through.

Lay the fish parcel on a warmed serving dish sprinkled with sprigs of fresh herbs and serve the sauce separately.

SERVES 4