Sea Trout en Croute recipe

Ingredients

Makes 16 finger sandwiches

25g large spinach leaves

4 x 70g thick rectangles of sea trout fillet, skin off

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

225g good-quality puff pastry

350g tenderstem broccoli

30g unsalted butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pancakes

100g plain flour 

a small pinch each of salt and sugar

2 eggs

200ml milk

2 tablespoons chopped chives a little butter, for frying

For the chive butter sauce

2 banana shallots, finely diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 sprigs of thyme

50ml white wine

50ml white wine vinegar

50ml double cream

200g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons chopped chives

How to Cook

STEP 1

First make the pancakes. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the salt and sugar and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs to the well and beat with a wooden spoon, gradually drawing in the flour from the sides. Slowly add the milk, beating until you have a smooth, thin batter with a few small bubbles on the surface. Mix in the chives.

STEP 2

Place a pancake pan or a medium frying pan over a moderate heat and grease with a little butter. Add enough of the pancake batter to make a thin pancake, swirling it around the pan so it covers the base evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden underneath, then turn and cook the other side.

STEP 3

Turn out of the pan on to a piece of baking parchment and cook the remaining batter in the same way. The pancakes can be stacked on top of each other once cooked. (You will have more pancakes than you need, so either stop after you've made 4 and store the batter in the fridge for the next day, or treat yourself to the extra ones.) 

STEP 4

Remove any large stalks from the spinach leaves. Blanch the leaves for 10 seconds in a large pan of boiling salted water, then drain and immediately place under cold running water to stop the cooking. When the spinach is cool, gently press out the excess water and lay the leaves out on a tea towel to dry. 

STEP 5

Place a piece of cling film on the work surface and put a pancake on top. Place a spinach leaf on top of that, then a piece of sea trout. Season the fish well with salt and pepper. Wrap the spinach around the fish so it is fully covered. Brush one end of the pancake with some of the beaten egg yolk and wrap the trout up, ensuring the sides of the pancake are tucked in and the end sticks to the egg (it should look like a large spring roll). Roll the whole thing up tightly in the cling film, taking care to keep the rectangular shape. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. 

STEP 6

Cut the puff pastry into quarters. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece quite thinly, so it is large enough to enclose a sea trout parcel, then run a lattice cutter over it. Brush all over with the remaining beaten egg yolk. Remove the cling film from the fish parcels and wrap them in the pastry, pinching the ends together to seal. 

STEP 7

Brush the top with egg yolk and place the parcels in the fridge while you start on the chive butter sauce. 

STEP 8

Put the shallots, garlic, thyme, white wine and white wine vinegar in a pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Add the cream and simmer until reduced by half. Turn the heat down as low as it will go and quickly whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until you have a smooth, emulsified sauce - lift the pan off the heat occasionally as you do this, so the sauce doesn't overheat. Add the lemon juice and chives and keep warm. 

STEP 9

Place the fish parcels in an oven heated to 190°C/ Gas Mark 5 and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Drain well, then return to the pan and toss with the butter. Season to taste.

STEP 10

To serve, trim the ends off the fish parcels and cut each one in half. Divide the broccoli between 4 plates and place the parcels on top, fish side facing up. Pour a little of the sauce around and serve the rest in a jug on the side.