Highland trout encocado with golden mellocos and warm lupin salad

Name: Highland trout encocado with golden mellocos and warm lupin salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ecuatoriana
Ingredients: 24 oz trout fillets with skin; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp annatto oil; 4 cloves garlic; 1 cup white onion; 3/4 cup green bell pepper; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 2/3 cups coconut milk; 1/2 cup fish stock or water; 1/2 cup cilantro; 1.1 lb mellocos; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cups cooked peeled lupini beans; 3/4 cup red onion; 3/4 cup tomato; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp fresh chili

An original Ecuadorian recipe that brings together seared Andean trout with a gentle coconut, annatto, and cilantro sauce, served with golden mellocos and a warm lupin salad with red onion and lime. It combines highland ingredients with a coastal-inspired encocado touch.

25 minPrep

35 minCook

60 minTotal

4Servings

Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

4 filetes, 680 g 680 g trout fillets with skin (approx. 170 g por filete)
30 ml 30 ml lime juice (divided)
8 g 8 g salt (or to taste, divided)
2 g 2 g black pepper (divided)
30 ml 30 ml annatto oil (divided)
12 g 12 g garlic (chopped fino, divided)
150 g 150 g white onion (chopped diced small)
100 g 100 g green bell pepper (chopped diced small)
2 g 2 g ground cumin
400 ml 400 ml coconut milk
120 ml 120 ml fish stock or water
20 g 20 g cilantro (chopped, divided)
500 g 500 g mellocos (lavados)
15 ml 15 ml vegetable oil
300 g 300 g cooked peeled lupini beans (enjuagados si vienen en salmuera)
100 g 100 g red onion (en pluma fina)
120 g 120 g tomato (diced small)
15 ml 15 ml olive oil
10 g 10 g fresh chili (chopped fino, optional)

Nutrition facts

per serving

520 kcal

Calories

35 g

Protein

24 g

Carbs

31 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

19 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

Fish

Instructions

1
1. Season the trout fillets with 15 ml (1 tbsp) lime juice, 4 g (3/4 tsp) salt, and 1 g (1/2 tsp) black pepper. Let them rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sides.
2
2. Place the mellocos in a pot with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain, let them cool slightly, and cut them in half if large.
3
3. For the warm salad, combine the cooked lupini beans, red onion, tomato, 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the remaining lime juice, 10 g chopped cilantro, the fresh chili if using, 2 g (3/4 tsp) salt, and 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil in a bowl. Set aside.
4
4. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat. Add 15 ml (1 tbsp) annatto oil and sauté the white onion, green bell pepper, and half of the garlic for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and softened.
5
5. Add the ground cumin, the remaining salt, the remaining black pepper, coconut milk, and fish stock or water. Cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in 10 g of the chopped cilantro and adjust the salt.
6
6. While the sauce cooks, heat another skillet over medium-high heat with 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil and the remaining 15 ml (1 tbsp) annatto oil. Brown the cooked mellocos for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they develop golden edges. Add the remaining garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove and keep warm.
7
7. Pat the trout skin dry with paper towels. In the same cleaned skillet or another nonstick skillet, cook the fillets skin-side down first over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Carefully flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the trout is just cooked through in the center.
8
8. If you prefer to finish the trout in the oven, transfer the oven-safe skillet to a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 2 to 3 minutes after crisping the skin.
9
9. Spoon a base of coconut sauce onto each plate, place a trout fillet on top, add a portion of golden mellocos, and finish with the warm lupin salad on the side. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve immediately.

Chef tips

For crispier skin, do not move the trout during the first few minutes of cooking. If the lupini beans are very salty, rinse them well and soak them in water for 10 minutes before using.

Substitutions

If you cannot find mellocos, you can use boiled baby potatoes and then brown them. The trout can be replaced with firm sea bass, though the result will feel less highland-style. If you do not have fish stock, use water.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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Illustrative image
T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized 12" Non-Stick Pan
Eggs, omelets and stir-fries
- Eggs and omelets that don’t stick
- Comfortable, sturdy handle
- Use wooden or silicone utensils
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