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“When @tastekilkenny asked me to do an Easter recipe using the best of local produce, I got really excited. Just as a change from the traditional lamb I went with a fish dish using Goatsbridge rainbow trout.

Succulent trout fillets with the aroma of wild garlic, bright green crunch of asparagus spears, a rich buttery sauce and the salty pops of trout roe is a real local and seasonal feast. Serve with some herbed and buttered new potatoes or a leafy green salad and your favourite white wine.

For me thinking local and seasonal is the best way to create stunning dishes and wild garlic and asparagus are abundant around Easter time. I just love the fact that so much of this dish comes straight from the River Nore and from the banks of the River Barrow. Goatsbridge trout farm is situated just outside Thomastown and they produce a stunning range of fresh fish, trout roe caviar, pâtés and smoked fish. I’ve always loved to cook with fish and since moving here to Kilkenny I can’t get enough of their trout magic. I got both the trout fillets and caviar from Ronan’s in New Ross, The Duncannon fish company’s outlet. Wild garlic will be everywhere alongside rivers at the moment, just follow your nose!

Salmon, sea trout or a white fish like cod or hake will work equally well under the crust, but do try and get your hands on some of the trout caviar, which truly lifts the dish. If the beurre blanc is too rich a prospect, a salsa-style sauce of diced tomatoes, chopped herbs, lemon juice and olive oil would accompany this dish just as nicely.”

The Recipe 

Serves 3 or 4

INGREDIENTS

FISH

• 1 x 500 – 700 gram fillet of rainbow trout (Ask your fishmonger to pin bone for you. Leave the skin on. Cut into portions before cooking for ease of serving or leave whole for a wonderful centrepiece to serve from.)
• 1 jar of rainbow trout caviar (You’ll have some of this left, try with smoked fish and scrambled eggs on toast for the best brunch ever!)

WILD GARLIC AND SOURDOUGH CRUST

• 100 grams sourdough bread
• 30 grams wild garlic leaf
• 40 grams butter, melted
• Zest of 1 lemon

(2 tablespoons pesto will absolutely work here if you haven’t time to look for wild garlic leaves. Only use 20 grams of melted butter if using pesto)

BEURRE BLANC

• 75mls white wine
• 30mls white wine vinegar
• 50mls cream
• 60 grams cold butter, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 chopped shallot
• 3 peppercorns, sprig of thyme or dill
• Lemon juice

GARNISH

• Chopped chives and/or dill
• Sea salt

METHOD

1. To make the crust, first break the sourdough bread into chunks and whizz in a food processor to create breadcrumbs.
2. Next blanch the wild garlic leaves in salted boiling water for 30 seconds, then scoop out and plunge into icy cold water to keep the bright green colour.
3. Squeeze out the water from the wild garlic leaves and roughly chop. Pop into a food processor with the lemon zest, melted butter, and a pinch of salt. Blend till smooth. Mix through the breadcrumbs and set aside until you’re ready to cook your fish. If you don’t have a processor make in a bowl by chopping the bread and wild garlic leaves as finely as possible and smooshing together with the other ingredients.
4. Prepare the asparagus by removing the bottom third of the spears which can be woody and tough. You can trim with a knife or it will often snap in exactly the right place. Blanch in salted boiling water for 2 mins and then plunge into icy cold water. Drain when cool and toss in oil, cracked black pepper and sea salt.
5. To make the beurre blanc sauce, put the wine, white wine vinegar, bay leaf, chopped shallot, peppercorns and herbs into a pot and cook on a high heat until the mixture has reduced down by 2/3. Splash in the cream and bring it to the boil.
6. When the mixture boils, take it off the heat and whisk in the cold butter. Add a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice to taste, then pass through a sieve into a jug or container. It’s important to not allow this sauce to cool right down or be too hot. Room temperature keeps the emulsion stable. You can make it hours ahead and keep in an insulated keep cup or thermal flask.
7. Pre heat your oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-assisted. Take an oven tray large enough for the portions or whole fillet of trout. Drizzle a little cooking oil onto the tray. Cover the base in foil which should stick down nice and flat. Drizzle some more oil on top of the foil.
8. Place the fish on the foil, skin side down. Season the fish with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Then place a 1cm thick layer of the wild garlic crust on top of the fish patting into shape with your fingers. Pop your tray into the hot oven for 12-15 mins.
9. While your fish is in the oven, griddle, chargrill or pan fry your asparagus in a hot pan for 2-3 minutes until a little scorched.
10. Chop your chives or dill and mix through your beurre blanc sauce.
11. When the fish is cooked it should feel firm to the touch in the centre. Better a little under then overcooked, so don’t leave it much longer than 15 mins. Thicker fillets like cod or salmon would take longer – up to 25 minutes. Use a fish slice or spatula to lift away the pink trout leaving the skin stuck to the foil.
12. Arrange the asparagus and trout how you like on warmed plates. Generously place four or five spoons of the trout caviar around the plate and pour the beurre blanc around to finish. Enjoy and happy Easter!

 

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Thank you for checking out Dave’s recipe, we hope you enjoyed it! Have a great Easter and we’ll be back with more delicious Feast’s next week!

 

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