TROUT POACHED IN WINE – Main Course (Serves 4)
In this part of Surrey we are blessed with some delicious trout from the Tillingbourne River. They are delicious, cheap and locally sourced so they don’t have to travel for miles. For this recipe you can use any freshwater trout, always remember when you buy fish look for shiny, slippery skin and bright eye – both indicators of freshness.
Ingredients
4 small trout, cleaned with heads on
2 salt and black pepper
50g of butter
1 large onion, skinned and sliced
2 Celery stick, trimmed and sliced
2 Carrots peeled and very thinly sliced
300ml of dry white wine
1 Sachet of bouquet Garni (available in most supermarkets)
1 Tbsp of plain flour
Lemon wedge and freshly chopped parsley to garnish
Preparation
1. Sprinkle the inside of each trout with salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Melt 25g of butter in a small saucepan, add the onion, celery and carrots and stir well to cover the butter. Cover and let it sweat for 5 minutes.
3. Lay the vegetables in a greased casserole and arrange the fish on top. Pour over the wine and add the sachet of bouquet Garni.
4. Cover tightly and cook in the oven at 180c or mark 4 for about 25-30 minutes.
5. Transfer the trout and vegetables to a warmed serving dish and keep hot reserving the cooking juice and discard the bouquet Garni sachet.
6. Blend together the remaining butter and the flour. Whisk in pieces in the cooking juice and simmer gently, stirring, until thickened. Pour into a jug to serve separately. Use the lemon wedge and the parsley to garnish.
Recommended Wine: Greco di Tufo (Italy)
CEVICHE – Starter (Serves 4)
When I was working in Spain I had the pleasure to work with a very talented Peruvian chef. After we became friends he showed me his family recipe for this amazing dish. Packed with omega 3 oils and clean proteins, a perfect healthy starter after all the festive comfort food. I don’t like coriander too much so I replace it with parsley, but I leave that to your personal taste.
Ingredients
450g skinned haddock fillets
1 tsp coriander seeds or Parsley
1 tsp black peppercorns
The juice of 6 limes
1 tsp of salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
4 Tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Dash of Tabasco
2 tbsp of fresh coriander
1 avocado
Preparation
1. Cut the haddock fillets diagonally into thin, even strips and place in a bowl.
2. Crush the coriander seeds and the peppercorns to a fine powder. Mix with the lime juice and salt, then pour over the fish. Cover and chill for 24 hours, turning the fish occasionally.
3. The next day, heat the oil in a pan, add the spring onions and fry gently for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the tabasco, toss together over a gentle heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
4. To serve, drain the fish from the marinade, dispose of the marinade, we will not need it anymore. Combine the fish with the spring onion and tomatoes and the chopped coriander/parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5. Halve the avocado, peel and remove the stone. Slice the flesh crossways. Arrange the slices around the inside of a serving bowl and pile the ceviche in the centres. Garnish with lime slices and coriander/parsley, I personally love to serve it with some toasted crusty bread. Enjoy your Ceviche!
Recommended Wine: Vinho Verde (Portugal)
CARROT CAKE – Dessert (Serves 8-10)
This is a real classical cake, I love this recipe is from Rose Carrarini, she is an English chef that owns a landmark restaurant in Paris. I had the pleasure to meet her a few years ago and she is amazing. This is one of her signature dishes.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter for greasing
4 Eggs
225g of superfine caster sugar
300ml sunflower oil
9 medium size carrots
300g Plain flour (sifted)
1/2 Tsp of baking soda
1Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp of salt
150g finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
For the Icing
125g unsalted butter (softened)
250g Creamy cheese
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
60g icing sugar
Preparation
1. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line its base with parchment paper. Beat the eggs and the caster sugar until they are light and fluffy but not too white and meringue-like.
2. Pour in the oil and beat for a few minutes, fold in the carrots and then the then the flour with the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Finally fold in the walnuts.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 45 minutes on a preheated oven at 180c or mark 4.
4. Once ready remove the cake from the oven and cool before taking it out from the cake tin.
5. To make the icing, beat the butter with the cream cheese for a few minutes till the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla extract and the icing sugar. When the cake is cold, ice the top with the icing. Enjoy your Carrot Cake!
Recommended Wine: Sauterne (France)
