TROUT WITH LOVAGE, PEA PURéE & CRISP SPRING ONIONS

Trout with lovage, pea purée & crisp spring onions image

Make the most of delicate trout by teaming it with pea and lovage purée and crispy spring onions. This takes a bit of effort but makes a big impact at the dinner table

Provided by Rosie Birkett

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

2 rainbow trout , cleaned (approx 340g)
1-2 tsp olive oil
handful lovage leaves
2 tsp butter
½ lemon , finely sliced
1 tbsp rice flour
1 lime , zested
3 spring onions , cut in half across the middle, then halves sliced lengthways into matchsticks
200ml vegetable oil
1 onion , finely sliced
1 lemon , zested and juiced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
100g spinach
150g frozen peas
splash of white wine
10 lovage leaves, washed
1 tbsp crème fraîche or soured cream
new potatoes , sliced and roasted
green salad

Steps:

To make the purée, fry the onion and lemon zest in the butter and olive oil over a low heat with a pinch of salt for 8-10 mins until fragrant. Add the spinach, peas and wine, and cook, stirring, until the wine has evaporated. Add 100ml water, bring to a simmer and cook until the peas are done, about 2 mins. Add the lovage leaves and crème fraîche, stir briefly just to wilt the leaves, then add the lemon juice and blend to a silky smooth purée. Transfer to a pan to heat up before you serve.
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Rub the fish with a little olive oil and season the fish cavities. Place a couple of lovage leaves in each fish, along with some slices of lemon and a few dots of butter. On a baking sheet, lay out a large piece of foil, bigger than the sheet. Place the fish in the middle of the foil, pull it up over the fish and seal, making a tented parcel. Bake in the oven for 15 mins, then open the foil and cook for 5 mins more. Remove and rest for 5 mins while you make the crisp spring onions. The fish should be delicately pink, moist and very tender, and come away from the skin and bone very easily.
Put the rice flour and lime zest in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Toss the spring onions with the flour to coat. Heat the oil in a saucepan (make sure it is no more than one-third full) over a medium-high heat. Fry the spring onions and watch as they sizzle. If they're turning brown or cooking very quickly, turn the heat down. Fry for about 3-5 mins until crisp but not too brown, then drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, sweep the purée across the plate, top with the trout, then the spring onions. Eat with roast potato slices and a fresh green salad.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 724 calories, Fat 65 grams fat, SaturatedFat 9 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 12 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 21 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium