007 / 75 · Breakfasts with Staying Power
Smoked Trout, Pea and Dill Breakfast Toasts
4 open toasts; 2 per serving · Active 15 min · Cook 5 min · Total 20 min
Print recipe · PDFCrushed peas make a bright, textured base for ready-to-eat hot-smoked trout. Ricotta keeps the peas spreadable, while lemon and dill lift the rich fish. The bread is toasted firmly enough to support the topping but not so dry that it becomes difficult to bite. This breakfast is mostly assembly, which makes the choice of fish important: use a product specifically labeled ready to eat, not raw trout or fish that still requires cooking.
Read the fish label before opening the packet
Hot-smoked trout is usually firm and flakes easily, but appearance does not replace the packet instructions. Choose a refrigerated, ready-to-eat product and follow its use-by and opening instructions. Remove skin and check carefully for small bones as you flake it. A whole smoked side and a vacuum-packed fillet may have different usable weights, so the recipe gives 150 g of edible fish after skin and bones are removed. Keep it cold until the toasts are ready to build.
Crush the peas, do not puree them
Briefly heating frozen peas makes them easy to crush with a fork. Leave some whole or in large pieces so they provide contrast beside the fish. Let visible steam subside before folding in ricotta; the mixture should be moist enough to spread but should not run. Toast the bread after the pea mixture is ready. A light brush of olive oil helps the surface resist the topping for the short time between assembly and eating, while lemon juice goes into the peas rather than soaking directly into the bread.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas (200 g)
- 1 tablespoon water (15 ml)
- 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta (80 g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (4 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
- 4 slices whole-wheat bread (160 g total)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (5 ml)
- 5 1/3 oz ready-to-eat hot-smoked trout, skin and bones removed (150 g edible fish)
Set out
Microwave-safe covered bowl, Fork, Toaster or oven grill, Small bowl, Clean knife and board
Allergens
Fish (trout), Milk, Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Put peas and water in the covered bowl, leaving a steam vent. Microwave on high for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway, until hot and tender; follow package cooking directions if they require longer. Let stand uncovered for 2 minutes.
- Crush peas roughly with a fork. Stir in ricotta, lemon juice, half the dill and black pepper.
- Toast the bread until crisp at the edges. Brush the four slices with the measured olive oil.
- Spread one quarter of the pea mixture on each toast. Flake the ready-to-eat trout, checking for bones, and divide it evenly over the toasts. Scatter the remaining dill over the fish and serve two toasts per person.
A savory change of pace
These open toasts offer a different breakfast texture from eggs or a yogurt bowl. Pack the pea mixture and fish separately from bread if taking them out. Building the toast where you eat keeps its crisp edge, and the four-slice yield makes the recipe straightforward to divide between two people.
A useful detail
No added salt is specified because smoked trout can be quite salty. Check both the label and the finished topping before adding salt separately.
Another way
- Replace trout with 150 g ready-to-eat hot-smoked salmon, checking the label and removing any skin or bones.
- Use 4 g chopped fresh parsley instead of dill for a milder herb finish.
Keep it well
Prepare the pea-ricotta mixture up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate at 40°F/4°C or below. Keep opened trout refrigerated and follow the packet opening limit, using the shorter limit if it is less than 1 day. Assemble toast immediately before eating. Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C; transport with two cold sources.