This is a recipe from Spain. Trout is very popular in Spain, particularly in the North, where it is fished in many rivers. This is a modern recipe for Trucha Rellena (Baked Trout with Rice, Tomatoes & Nuts), baked in foil with rice stuffing in which sun-dried tomatoes have been used in place of the more traditional chillies. Serves Four

Ingredients

1 or 2 fresh trout (depending on size) cleaned, gutted and any loose bones removed.
¾ cup mixed unsalted almonds, pine nuts or hazelnuts
1 ½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
1 ½ cups cooked white long grain rice
4 tomatoes, peeled & very finely chopped
4 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained & chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 fresh tarragon sprigs
salt and ground black pepper
salad greens to serve

Preheat the oven to 190 C.

Spread out the nuts in a shallow dish and bake until golden brown, shaking the dish occasionally. When cool enough, chop the nuts roughly.
Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion for 3 – 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
Stir in the grated ginger, cook for a further 1-minute, then spoon into a mixing bowl.
Stir the rice, chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted nuts and tarragon into the onion mixture. Season the stuffing well.
Place the trout on individual large pieces of oiled foil and spoon the stuffing into the cavities. Add a sprig of tarragon and drizzle of olive oil or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
Fold the foil over to enclose each trout completely, and put parcels in a large roasting dish. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the trout is just tender. Cut the trout into thick slices. Serve with a green salad.