Photography by Keiko Oikawa
Maybe its an age thing but the winter months do seem to drag on more and more each year. I mean an inch of snow in the middle of April - what’s that all about? Anyway my point is that thank goodness we are now in the best growing season of the year for vegetables and many fruits – our Morston Hall menu during May and June features about 95% regional produce.
Just off the Morston coast, we are now getting plenty of sea trout, bass and grey mullet (last one very underrated), all rod caught or on long line hooks, never netted. These flapping fresh beauties are caught literally within a couple of miles of the Hall and bought to us via a knock on the kitchen door, a little bartering as to the price and both parties are happy with the outcome. The only problem is from a culinary perspective, in that these fish are solid with rigor mortis and therefore quite difficult to fillet. But for that kind of freshness, hey we can cope with that. There is nothing better than the end result once cooked correctly and merely adorned with a simple sauce and garnish.
Here is one of my favourite ways of serving wild sea trout.
The Fish (serves 6 gernerously)
INGREDIENTS
1 to 2 kilo wild sea trout, filleted, de-scaled, pin-boned and cut into 6 steaks (ask your fishmonger)
Extra virgin rapeseed oil
Salt and Pepper
900gms local broad beans de-podded (and de-skinned if large)
175 gm tiny peas
A handful of flat leaf parsley
2 sprigs of mint
METHOD
Prepare the sea trout by scoring the flesh lightly and regularly with a sharp knife – avoid slicing deeply into the flesh. Brush liberally with rapeseed oil and place on a baking tray skin side uppermost and set aside.
Next bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil, tip in the peas with a couple of sprigs of mint and then parsley. Cook for no longer than 2 minutes then turn off. Take 150mlss of the cooking water from the pan and pour into a liquidizer with the drained peas, mint and parsley. Carefully purée really well and then push the mixture through a sieve into another pan. Blanch the broad beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain and add to the pan of pea purée. Set aside and keep warm.
Butter sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 shallots
1 tbsp wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp white wine
1 tbsp cold water
225g salted butter, cut into 10 or 12 cubes
Chopped fresh herbs as required
METHOD
Peel and finely slice the shallots. Place in a saucepan together with the wine vinegar, lemon juice and white wine. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid to about a tablespoon. Add the cold water, and keep on the heat in order to reduce once again to 1 tablespoon.
Turn the heat down and, over a low heat, slowly whisk in the butter, a cube at a time. The sauce will emulsify, thickening and lightening in colour. Once all the butter has been added, remove the pan from the heat and pass the sauce through a sieve into another saucepan. Stir in herbs and keep warm. Do not refrigerate or store as it will separate.
Ten minutes before serving, pre-heat the grill to its hottest. Now turn over the fish and season the flesh side. Turn back skin side uppermost and place under the grill. The grilling will only take a few minutes if the grill is hot, cook until browned on the edges, bubbling and slightly blistered, it will continue to cook once removed. Meanwhile if the sauce or peas have cooled down, gently reheat. To serve, place fish and pea purée on warm plates and spoon on butter sauce.
Simple yes but incredibly tasty.
