Warm Smoked Trout Pots

Serving little mini-casseroles of decadent smoked fish enrobed in velvety sauce is sure to turn guests into fans. The beauty here is that you don’t need to break a sweat for the adulation—nor do you need to admit to such things. Piment d’Espelette is a modestly spicy pepper powder from France. It can be substituted with ¼ tsp (1 mL) paprika mixed with a pinch of cayenne if you like.

1 cup (250 mL) crème fraîche

2 oz (60 g) sharp cheddar, grated

¼ tsp (1 mL) piment d’Espelette

1 tbsp (15 mL) well drained prepared horseradish

8 oz (250 g) skinned and boned smoked trout, broken into small bite-sized pieces

¼ cup (60 mL) chopped chives, divided 12 sourdough toast soldiers (see TIP)

1 In a small pot over medium heat, bring the crème fraîche to a boil and reduce until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese. When it has melted, stir in piment d’Espelette and horseradish.

2 Toss smoked trout with 3 tbsp (45 mL) chives and divide mixture between twelve ½-cup (125-mL) heatproof ramekins. Spoon an equal amount of crème fraîche mixture over each. (Pots may be prepared to this point and held in fridge, covered, for up to a day.)

3 When ready to serve, broil prepared ramekins 2 inches (5 cm) from top element, for 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbling and lightly golden. Let stand 10 minutes and garnish each with a pinch of remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) chives. Serve each with a toast soldier.

Makes 12 servings

TIP

To make toast soldiers, toast ½-inchthick (1-cm) slices sourdough, trim off crusts, and cut into long pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long. Toast soldiers can be made a couple of hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.