Michigan Smoked Trout Melt from Scrambled

Cooking instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a bit of olive oil. Drizzle olive oil on the cut sides of the baguette and season with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, add bread cut-side down to the pan and let toast until golden brown.
2. Use your hands to gently break up the smoked trout into large flakes in a medium bowl. Zest the lemon onto the trout. 
3. Add the red onion and capers, if using, to the bowl with the trout. Add fennel fronds and flowers, then squeeze the juice of half the lemon all over and add crème fraîche. Gently fold with a spoon until just combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
4. Once bread has toasted, remove the pan from heat and flip the bread over so the cut side faces up. 
5. Scoop a few generous spoonfuls on top of each baguette half and gently pat down to an even layer. Season with salt and a bit of pepper, then top each half with two slices of cheddar. Season the cheddar with a bit of salt and pepper before transferring back to the heat and cover with a lid or same sized pan to melt the cheese.
6. In a separate large skillet over medium heat, add a couple of teaspoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons butter and confited garlic--this will flavor the cooking fats.
7. Carefully crack the eggs into the pan then remove garlic. Season with salt and pepper then add another tablespoon or so of butter. Tilt the pan up and baste the egg whites with butter so they cook, trying to avoid the yolk. 
8. Once the cheddar has melted, remove the pan from heat and transfer each half to plates. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, remove one egg at a time from the pan and let excess fat drip off before placing on top of each sandwich half. 
9. Serve immediately while imagining you caught the trout yourself on the gorgeous Lake Superior.