Hi there!

There was very little going on last week apart from blackbirds reporting for duty digging up half the garden in search of food, nest material and seeds that I finally got around to planting!!! A couple of cracking rugby cup finals (European challenge cup and European champions cup) and a BBQ with friends and family last night, great stuff.

I’ll probably be out in the garden as you read this and will be adding pictures to The Cook’s Larder’s Instagram throughout the week.

This week we take a look at our first non-veg food, a fish that is bang in season at the moment and never far from my menus, Sea trout.

Sea trout

Sea trout, also known as sea-run brown trout, bull trout, sewin (Wales), peel or peal (southwest England), mort (northwest England), finnock (Scotland), white trout (Ireland) and salmon trout, is a species of fish that can be found in the coastal waters as well as in rivers and streams that flow into the sea. They are also often found in estuaries and near the mouths of rivers where they feed on a variety of small fish and crustaceans.  Sea trout are also farmed in sea lochs and coastal waters across Scotland which provide a relatively inexpensive source of fish for supermarkets and fishmongers. Wild sea trout bears little resemblance to farmed trout. Its time spent at sea means that it is closer to wild salmon in colour, texture and most importantly, flavour. Sea trout is a rich source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential vitamins and minerals. So whether farmed or wild it’s hard to go wrong with a good piece of trout!

When buying sea trout, fresh is best! Look for clear eyes, bright, firm skin and flesh. If your trout smells overly fishy or has cloudy eyes and/or dull, soft skin or flesh it may be past its best.

When storing, it is best to keep sea trout in the fridge and consume within a couple of days. Sea trout freezes well - wrap portions or whole fish tightly in clingfilm and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Pan Roast sea trout

This is my easy way to attain a crispy-skinned perfectly cooked piece of trout every time!

Makes: 2 servings

Cook time: 10 minutes

Equipment:

• Frying pan

• Greaseproof paper

Ingredients:

• 2x 150g portions of Sea trout

• 1 tbsp veg oil

• Salt, to taste

Instructions:

Start by cutting 2 pieces of greaseproof paper to be slightly bigger than the portions of sea trout.

Place the greaseproof in the frying pan and drizzle in the oil, allow to heat up on a medium heat.

Season the sea trout liberally with salt and place skin side down in the pan on top of the greaseproof. Make sure the pan is not too hot as the skin will contract too quickly making it harder to get an even cook, press the sea trout down firmly to ensure the skin is flat and has an even contact with the pan.

Cook for 3-4 minutes or until you can see 80% of the fish is cooked through.

Flip the sea trout and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove from the pan and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

When cooking any fish in a pan you always want to follow the 80/20 rule, cook 80% on the presentation side to get a nice caramelisation, in this case, a lovely crispy skin (a great chef once told me the skin should be like a thin sheet of glass, delicate but firm with a satisfying sound when tapped, you’ll know what I mean after you’ve completed this recipe!) then flip and cook the final 20%. To get perfectly cooked fish the final 20% should be roughly no more than a minute.

Download recipe here

Sea trout pate

Here is a fantastic way to use up any excess sea trout. This recipe is great as part of a picky tea, as canapes for a dinner party or just to eat on its own with crusty bread.

Makes: 6+ servings

Time: 5 minutes

Equipment:

• Mixing bowl

• Blender

• Spatula

Ingredients:

• 250g cooked and cooled trout

• 150g cream cheese

• 100g Greek yoghurt

• 1 tsp preserved horseradish* or horseradish sauce

• ½ lemon, juiced

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp sugar

• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

For course pate: Break up the cooked trout by hand and place in the bowl with all the other ingredients and beat with the spatula until the desired consistency is achieved.

For smooth pate: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until the desired consistency is achieved. Either serve immediately or pour pate into a container and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to set.

The pate will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Download recipe here

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend, please share The Cook’s Newsletter with family and friends. We’d also love to see your creations! Use #thecooksnewsletter on your socials and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section!

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Happy cooking!

Stu