Confit Trout with Jerusalem Artichoke Mousseline

Jerusalem artichoke mousseline: To make this confit trout, Jerusalem artichoke mousseline and lace tuile recipe, start by preparing the Jerusalem artichoke mousseline. Peel the vegetables with a knife.

Then cut the Jerusalem artichokes into pieces of identical size for even cooking.

Place these pieces of Jerusalem artichokes in a saucepan...

...and add the chestnuts (they're already cooked).

Cover everything with water to the surface and place the saucepan on the stovetop.

Salt the cooking water with coarse salt...

...and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Tuiles: Prepare all the ingredients.

Pour the tempered water into a measuring glass (a narrow and tall container).

Add the peanut oil...

...the flour and fine salt.

Immerse a hand blender into the container...

...and mix until smooth and homogeneous.

If you want to make tuiles in different colours, you can divide this mixture into two or three portions depending on the number of colours chosen. Otherwise, ignore this step. I only made black tuiles for this recipe.

Add the equivalent of the tip of a knife of black water-soluble powder colouring into the measuring glass...

...and blend the mixture finely to fully dissolve the colouring particles. This method works with any colour; just make sure you're using a water-soluble powder colouring.

Heat a non-stick frying pan.

Transfer the tuile mixture into a piston funnel and pour a little batter into the hot pan.

The mixture spreads gently and begins to bubble. It is cooked when the bubbles stop.

Once cooked, this is what the result should look like. Carefully remove the tuile with a spatula and place it on paper towel. Set aside.

Jerusalem artichoke mousseline (continued): When the Jerusalem artichoke pieces are cooked, stop the cooking...

...and drain them, as well as the chestnuts, in a colander.

Place the cooked Jerusalem artichokes and chestnuts in a bowl and mix with the hand blender.

Loosen the mixture with whipping cream...

...and blend until smooth and homogeneous. Add cream as needed to achieve a purée with the desired texture (a fine consistency, neither too thick nor too runny).

Add the butter and blend again.

Grate nutmeg over the Jerusalem artichoke mousseline using a Microplane zester-spice grater.

Season with freshly ground pepper...

...and mix once more with the hand blender.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, by adding a little fine salt. We adjust the salt at the end since the cooking water was already salted.

Confit trout: Take the trout fillet and trim it on a cutting board, using a well-sharpened sole filleting knife.

I removed a portion of the fillet to get regular and identical pieces, and especially not too large.

If necessary, cut the skin with a pair of scissors, as it is quite resistant. Here I am using Banka trout, a local trout from the Basque country.

Here is our trout fillet.

Cut this trout fillet into regular 100 gram portions...

...along with the entire length of the fillet.

I used 4 trout portions for this recipe. I reserved the tail for a later use. Store in the fridge.

Lemon confit: Pour the lemon juice into a saucepan...

...and heat it on the stovetop.

Mix the smaller quantity of caster sugar with the pectin NH coating.

Add the larger quantity of caster sugar to the lemon juice.

When the lemon juice reaches 50°C, add the pectin and sugar mixture while whisking continuously to incorporate the powders without creating lumps.

Bring the mixture to a boil and maintain the boil for at least 1 minute, to activate the pectin's properties.

Add the tip of a knife of yellow lemon powder colouring to obtain a vibrant yellow lemon confit. Note that the powder is orange when dry but reveals its true colour when in contact with moisture. Add sparingly, as it is easier to add than to remove. Whisk vigorously. Cocoa butter can be incorporated at this stage to give more texture and shine to the preparation, but this is optional.

Transfer the mixture to a container...

...and cover in contact with cling film. Refrigerate.

Confit trout (continued): The trout must be cooked at the last moment (cooking will take 12 minutes). Pour neutral oil, such as grape seed oil, into a saucepan and heat until it reaches 50 to 55°C. Although a margin of 5°C is allowed for cooking, make sure the oil temperature does not get below 50°C nor above 55°C. Ideally, use an induction hob for perfect temperature control, otherwise remove the saucepan from the heat source if the temperature rises too fast.

Add the thyme and bay leaf to the oil...

...and 2 or 3 strips of lemon zest taken with a peeler. You should only take the yellow part as the white part adds bitterness.

Bring the oil temperature to 50 to 55°C maximum. Use an infrared laser thermometer for accuracy.

Gently place the trout portions into the hot oil...

...and let cook very gently for 10 to 12 minutes for an ultra-melting texture. The flesh must remain pearly but cooked.

During cooking, monitor the oil temperature. If necessary, remove the saucepan from the heat to lower the temperature.

At the end of cooking, remove the trout portions from the oil...

...and place them on paper towel. Then cover with a second sheet of paper towel to remove excess oil.

This is what the result should look like.

Plating: Arrange the Jerusalem artichoke mousseline on the serving plate. On one side of the mousseline, place the trout portion topped with some trout eggs and a black tuile. Whisk the lemon confit to obtain a marmalade texture, then transfer into a small piping bag. Pipe a thin lace of lemon confit over the mousseline. Also scoop a little bit of trout eggs on the plate.

Finish the decoration with individual trout eggs scattered around the plate, finely chopped chives, and sprigs of fresh rosemary placed on top of the black tuile. Enjoy!