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When I took my first trip away from my home region, it was to work in the Pay Basque at a place that only had a coal stove. The mountains were full of rivers. The rivers were full of trout. And at the Hotel Etchola in Ascain, the cellar was full of aging Bayonne hams. Sometimes we would get so busy and the orders came so fast and furiously that we would throw four or five trout in a pan, and poach them with cream and vegetables and send them out to the dining room full of folks on holiday.
Makes 4 servings
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and deveined
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and deveined
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and deveined
1 small onion
1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded
4 ounces chorizo
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon piment d’espelette
Four 6- to 8-ounce trout, cleaned and boned
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 to 12 slices unsmoked, cured dry ham, such as Jambon de Bayonne, Serrano ham, or prosciutto
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the green, red, and yellow bell peppers, onion, tomato and chorizo into 1- by 1/4-inch-thick strips.
3. In an oval fish pan or a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, mix together the peppers, onion, tomato, chorizo, cream, and piment d’espelette and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook until the cream has reduced and thickened, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, season the inside of each trout with salt and pepper. On a flat work surface, lay 2 to 3 ham slices vertically, slightly overlapping each other. Place the trout across the center of the ham slices. One by one, wrap each piece of ham around the trout. Continue until all four trout are wrapped. Add the fish to the pan and bake for 30 minutes until the fish are cooked through. Serve immediately.
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