Trout terrine with capers, chopped egg, dill and chives

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Rinse the trout inside and out and pat dry with kitchen paper, then put onto a large piece of foil. Cut the coarser stems from the bunch of dill and put them in the cavity of the fish along with the garlic and bay leaves. Rub the butter all over the fish and sprinkle over the lemon zest. Season well with salt and pepper, then fold over the foil to enclose the fish. Crimp the edges tightly to keep the steam and juices inside. Bake the fish for 25 minutes or until just cooked through. (Check this by partially opening the foil and pushing the point of a sharp knife into the thickest part of the fish; the flesh should just come away from the bone.)
2. While the trout is cooking, cook the eggs for 6-7 minutes in a small pan of boiling water. Drain and cool.
3. When the trout is cool enough to handle, carefully open the foil parcel, taking care not to spill the buttery juices. Remove the skin from the fish (discard), then flake the flesh into a bowl, discarding any bones. Add the butter and roasting juices from the fish to the bowl with the crème fraîche, capers, chives and lemon juice. Peel and roughly chop the eggs and add to the bowl. Season, then gently combine – you don’t want to break up the fish/eggs much.
4. Lay the smoked trout on a plate or board. Finely chop the remaining dill, then sprinkle over the smoked trout to give it an emerald green covering. Line the terrine with the smoked trout slices, laying the dill-covered side against the cling film-lined tin.
5. Spoon the cooked trout and caper mixture into the lined terrine and even it out as best you can. Fold over any overhanging smoked trout to encase the filling completely. Fold over the overhanging cling film, then chill for 3-4 hours to set.
6. To serve, use the cling film to gently ease the terrine out of the tin and turn out onto a chopping board. Remove the cling film and use a very sharp knife to cut into thin slices. Serve with new potatoes, crusty bread or toast and Gill’s cucumber salad.