Sea trout with asparagus and vermouth butter
This fish supper is served with freshly steamed asparagus and a rich, boozy butter.
Ingredients
For the sea trout
- 1kg/2lb 4oz thick sea trout fillet
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- chopped fresh dill, to garnish
For the vermouth butter
- 350ml/12fl oz English vermouth
- 2 shallots, peeled and diced
- 50ml/2fl oz moscatel vinegar
- 250g/9oz unsalted butter, very cold and diced
- 1 jar trout roe caviar
For the asparagus
- 1 bunch British asparagus
To serve
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
For the pickled cucumber
- 100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
- 70²µ/2½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 star anise, broken into pieces
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and finely diced
For the tartare
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú trout fillet, diced
- squeeze lemon juice
- 1 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ banana shallots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 tsp chopped fresh dill, plus extra to serve
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp trout roe caviar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the sea trout, preheat the oven to 130C/110C Fan/Gas ½ and place a roasting tin of water on the middle oven shelf. Place the sea trout on a baking tray. Cook the trout on the top oven shelf so the trout steams from the water below while cooking. It needs to cook until the internal temp is 42C, this will take around 20–30 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature.
To make the vermouth butter, place the vermouth, shallot and vinegar in a saucepan and cook until reduced. Add the butter, cook until melted and then stir in the trout roe.
To make the asparagus, place a saucepan of boiling water on the hob and put a steamer on top. Add the asparagus to the steamer and place a lid on top and cook for 3–4 minutes.
To make the tartare, heat the vinegar, sugar, salt and spices in a saucepan with 150ml/5fl oz water. Leave to cool slightly. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumber in a bowl and chill in the fridge overnight.
Place the trout in a bowl, add the lemon juice, crème fraîche and mustard and stir to bind. Mix in the shallot and dill. Season with the salt and pepper and add the cayenne pepper. Transfer the trout mixture to a serving plate then top with the pickled cucumber. Add crème fraîche, trout roe and dill.
To serve, place the asparagus on a serving plate, top with the trout fillet and pour over the vermouth butter. Garnish with the dill.
For the tartare. Put the trout mix on the plate first. Pickled cucumber on top then crème fraiche, trout roe and dill.