Pan‑fried Trout with Herb Butter and Sheet‑pan Potatoes

Ingredients

• 600 g waxy potatoes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 bunch mixed herbs (parsley, dill, sage, chives, cress)
• 1 Organic lemon
• 400 g trout (ready‑to‑cook, 300–400 g per fish)
• 170 g butter
• 10 g lemon balm (0.5 bunch)
• 1 Shallot
• 1 bunch watercress

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, peel and halve the potatoes lengthwise. Place them in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, and mix well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the potatoes on it. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan 160 °C; gas: level 2–3) for 30–40 minutes.

2. 2.

   Wash the herbs, shake off excess water, and bundle them into four small bunches. Wash the lemon and slice it thinly.

3. 3.

   Rinse the trout and pat dry. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Insert one herb bunch with two lemon slices and 1 tsp butter into each cavity. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the trout and fry for 4 minutes on each side over medium heat. Finish in the oven for 10–12 minutes.

4. 4.

   For the butter, wash and dry the lemon balm, finely chop the leaves. Peel and mince the shallot very finely. Combine lemon balm, shallot and remaining butter in a bowl, mix well, and season with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   Wash and shake off excess water from the watercress. Plate the fish with potatoes and watercress. Drizzle some lemon butter over the trout and serve immediately.