Mark Best: Cured ocean trout with fennel and chestnuts

Serves 8 Prep time 20 mins, cook 15 mins (plus curing)

Dry-roast spices until they pop (1-2 minutes), then transfer to a bowl with sugar, salt, 1 cup (loosely packed) fennel fronds and lemon rind. Mix well and set aside.

Place trout in a non-reactive tray, then rub with sugar mixture, covering both sides evenly. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate until lightly cured (12-18 hours). Remove fish from curing mixture, wipe excess away with a cloth, then wrap trout in plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Trout will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.

For glazed chestnuts, heat a deep-sided frying pan over low heat. Add butter, then chestnuts, garlic and thyme and saut until nuts are golden (2-4 minutes). Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, deglaze pan with sherry vinegar. Add stock, bring to a simmer, then cover closely with a round of baking paper that has a small hole in the centre. Cook until nuts are tender and glazed (5-10 minutes). Cool to room temperature, discard thyme and garlic, halve larger nuts, keeping smaller ones whole, set aside.

Trim dark green stalks from fennel (discard), reserve remaining fronds. Combine lemon juice, Pernod, 1 litre chilled water and ice cubes in a bowl. Thinly slice fennel with a mandolin into water and stand until crisp (3-5 minutes), then drain and pat dry with absorbent paper. Before serving, drizzle with oil, season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground white pepper and lemon juice, add nuts and toss gently to combine.

Thinly slice trout across the fillet at a 45-degree angle with a sharp, long, thin knife, starting at the head and working toward the tail. Divide fennel, chestnuts and sliced trout among plates and serve immediately, scattered with reserved fennel fronds and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.