Brown sugar-cured trout with easy wheaten bread

Method

1. Begin by making the cure: grind the caraway seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns and juniper berries into a powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Scoop out 1 tbsp of the mix and set aside for the bread, then add the salt to the rest and grind briefly just to mix – you still want the salt flakes to be a little coarse. Stir in the sugar and lemon zest.
2. Pat the trout dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle the tray with a third of the cure mixture and spread it out as evenly as possible. Put the trout on top, skin-side down, then sprinkle the rest of the cure all over the fish. Pat it down so it’s all covered evenly, then cover the tray (a chopping board is good for this) and leave in the fridge to cure for 20-24 hours.
3. To make the wheaten bread, heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6. Put the flours, salt, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and reserved spiced mix in a bowl and mix. Create a well in the centre and stir in the buttermilk, then the melted butter, treacle and syrup. The mixture should come together into a wet dough (if not, add a drop more buttermilk). Grease the loaf tin with butter, then tip the dough into it and sprinkle with the oats. Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering with foil if the top browns too much. When it’s ready, the loaf should sound hollow if you tap the base. Leave to cool slightly on a wire rack.
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4. Wash off the cure from the trout under a cold running tap, carefully slice off and discard the trout skin, then pat dry. The trout is now ready to slice and serve, but taste the outer layers and trim them away if they’re too salty. Slicing is much easier when the trout is fridge-cold.
5. Mix the butter and tarragon with a sprinkle of salt flakes, then serve with the bread and sliced trout, with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.