Fario Trout and Norcia Cured Ham Crispy Salad with Ricotta Cheese and Trout Roe

When this dish is served in Norcia’s Vespasia restaurant at The International Kitchen’s A Food Lover’s Paradise in Norcia and Cooking and Hiking in the Umbrian Hills, it’s clearly a local dish. After all, the recipe calls for Fario trout, only available in Europe, as well as Norcia IGP cured ham. But that doesn’t mean you can’t recreate this wonderful delicacy in your home kitchen. With a few key substitutions, impress your family and friends with this amazing dish from the kitchen of our friends at the Vespasia.

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Fario Trout and Norcia Cured Ham Crispy Salad with Ricotta Cheese and Trout Roe

Serves: 4
Prep time: 90 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Cook method: Poach

Ingredients:

• 4 trout fillets
• 1/4 oz fresh leaves of wild fennel
• 17 oz of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cured ham bone
• 1.5 oz trout roe
• 1 oz wild fennel seds
• 1 oz lemon zest
• 3 1/2 oz sheep milk ricotta cheeses
• 8 slices of cured ham
• 1/4 oz sea salt in flakes

Instructions:

1. Dry the slices of cured ham in the oven at a low temperature, or in a dehydrator, until they are crispy by not too salty.

2. Cut each washed fillet in 3 parts. Cover the fillets and put in the fridge to rest.

3. Prepare the olive oil for the infusion and add the cured ham bone, fennel seeds and lemon zest. Keep the oil temperature at about 100°F.

4. Strain the oil and poach the fillets at about 130°F for 5 minutes.

5. Separately, mix some olive oil with the ricotta cheese, and salt. Blend the ricotta cheese and let rest in a fridge for 1 hour minimum.

6. Place the trout in layers with the crispy cured ham. Add sea salt in flakes and fresh fennel on top, along with trout eggs and ricotta foam.

By Peg Kern

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