Trout rillettes

I love cooking trout, especially when there are so many great ways of livening it up

Serves 4

In essence this is a pât?, but the large flakes make it reminiscent of the little pots of flaked meat and duck fat that I learnt to prepare in France, hence more of a rillette. The beauty of this method is that you don’t lose the flavour or texture of the trout by over-processing it. Make sure you don’t stint on the capers and gherkins - their texture and flavours are paramount. Serve as a starter in little ramekins.

2 trout fillets, skinned and pin-boned
400g duck fat
2 tbsp capers, finely chopped
2 tbsp gherkins, finely chopped
150g crème fraîche or sour cream
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped chives

1 Gently warm the duck fat until the temperature reaches