Baked Trout with Watercress Sauce
Serves 2 1 whole English Rainbow Trout, gutted and scaled 1 lemon 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh Salt and pepper 200g English Watercress 100g English Spinach 250ml light chicken or vegetable stock 1 shallot 1 celery stick 1 clove garlic 2 spring onions Olive oil 1. Season the fish all over with salt and pepper and place on a lightly oiled tray. 2. Make 2 slashes in the fish flesh and place bay leaves in the scores. Place two slices of lemon in the cavity of the fish. 3. Bake the fish in a preheated oven at 220c until the fish is cooked all the way through, approx. 20 minutes (this will depend on the size of the fish). 4. In a small saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. 5. Finely chop the shallot, celery and garlic and add to the pan with a pinch of salt. Cook until the shallot is soft but with no colour. Add the stock and simmer for 5 minutes until the celery has softened. 6. Now add the watercress and spinach and simmer gently until the leaves have wilted, remove from the heat and, using a stick blender, pulse the leaves and liquid until you achieve a smooth sauce. Taste and season the sauce, a little lemon juice can be added at this stage, stir in the spring onions. 7. When the fish is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. To serve Place a couple of spoons of the warm sauce on a large hot serving plate and place the trout on top. You can remove the head at this stage if you want to. Remove the cooked fillets of fish from the trout and place onto individual serving plates with some more of the sauce, a little dressed watercress salad and some freshly cooked new potatoes. To find out more about Tideswell School of Food and the courses on offer, visit www.tideswellschooloffood.co.uk or call 01298 871262.