Hendrick’s gin-cured trout with buttermilk blini

1.Combine salt, sugar, gin and half the lemon rind in a bowl, stir to combine. Place a piece of plastic wrap longer than the trout fillet on a work bench and scatter a little salt mixture over plastic. Lay trout on top, pat remaining mixture onto flesh. Wrap and refrigerate, turning once, until lightly cured (8-10 hours). Wipe off salt mixture and liquid with absorbent paper, scatter over chopped herbs and remaining lemon rind, pat well into flesh, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.

2.For buttermilk blini, sift flours into a large bowl, add yeast and a pinch of salt, stir to combine and form a well in the centre. Warm milk in a small saucepan over low heat until lukewarm, remove from heat, whisk in yolks, then add to flours and stir to combine. Add buttermilk and parsley, stir until a batter forms. Cover and set aside to prove (1 hour). Whisk eggwhite and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, gently fold through buttermilk mixture. Heat one-third of butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add tablespoons of blini mixture and cook until bubbles form (2-3 minutes), turn, cook until golden (30 seconds), then remove from pan. Wipe out pan with absorbent paper and repeat with remaining butter and batter.

3.Thinly slice cured trout with a sharp knife and serve with buttermilk blini and lemon wedges.