Recipe 20 is… Fresh Trout Teriyaki

Another simple but sumptuous way to enjoy fresh trout fillets and presentationally a meal fit for a king.

To produce a really beautiful end result you will need top quality large D-cut fillets such as those below. Strangely these aren’t as mainstream as the smaller fillets but are increasingly available in fishmongers and some supermarket fish counters.  I’d love to know if your fishmonger/ supermarket supplies them, and if not what their reasoning is.  

Email me at shara@moffatwaterwaterfoods.com with details of your enquiry & response and in return you will receive 10% off your next smoked trout order from Moffat Water Foods (www.moffatwaterfoods.com).

fresh trout d-cut fillets 

To serve x4 people you will need…

Trout Teriyaki
4 large trout fillets
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine
4 inch section of fresh ginger
4 fresh lemongrass stalks
1 bunch spring onions

Spring Onion Mash
4 large potatoes
1 bunch spring Onions
Ample Butter & Milk
Juice of a whole lemon

Leeks or a vegetable of your choice, ideally with a clean taste to help balance the savoury teriyaki and rich mashed potato.

Step One: Preparation
First prepare the base of your sauce by finely chopping your ginger, lemon grass and spring onions.

trout teriyake ingredients

 

Next season your trout, either with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper or if you feel more adventurous a commbination of other herbs and spices. My enterprising husband found an ingenious product called Herby Fish Rub from Spicentice which is a pre-prepared mixture of coriander, parsley, dill, fennel, garlic, onion, lemon peel and ginger – this is what I’m sprinkling over the trout fillets below – and it worked fantastically. Equally, any mixure of the above or similar herbs and spices would be just as good.

seasoning your trout fillets 

 Step Two: The Sauce

Mix your soy sauce, rice wine and pre-chopped ginger, lemon grass and spring onion in a small saucepan and simmer gently until the sauce has reduced and the consistency is slightly syrupy. Leave to one side.

 Step Three: The Spring Oinion Mash

Peel, chop, boil and mash your potatoes as you would for regular mashed potato, perhaps adding a little more milk than normal to ensure a light and fluffy mash. To save on elbow grease I also finish off with a hand-held electric blender to completely eradicate any lumps and bumps. 

(Note: I did once attempt to push the mash through a sieve but failed dismally; not only did none of the mash want to go through the sieve but I also ended up with more mash on myself and my apron than anywhere else.   Has anyone else had a similar experience?)

Next finely chop the remaining spring onion and gently fry over butter in a non-stick frying pan.

trout with spring onion mash

 

Once soft but not yet browning add the spring onion and lemon juice to the mashed potato. Mix in well and leave to one side.

 

spring onion mashed potato

 

Step Four: Grill the Trout Fillets

Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan with a small amount of olive oil.
Add the trout fillets skin down (you should hear a satisfying sizzle as the fillet skins hit the olive oil) and pour the sauce over the fillets, using a plastic or wooden spoon to pile the chopped ginger, lemon grass and spring onions onto the top of the fillets so that they don’t burn in the saucepan.

teriyake sauce over trout fillets

 

Watch as the deep pink of the raw trout gives way to the lighter pink of the cooked trout as the heat rises up through the fillet (this may take anything from 6 to 15 minutes depending on the heat of your frying pan).

deep pink trout to light pink trout

 

Step Six: Prepare your Vegetables

If using leeks as I did then I would recommend chunky slices and a light steaming to allow the leeks to retain both their shape & texture as well as their clean crisp taste.

trout with steamed leeks

 

Step Five: Serve to Oohs and Aahs

If neccessary re-heat your mashed potato.
Arrange your mashed potato, leeks and trout fillets on pre-heated plates, then spoon your remaining sauce over the fillets. Add a slice of lemon and/or sprig of parsley or coriander for the essential garnish and enjoy each and every mouthful.

teriyake trout served to oohs and aahs

 

Marks Out of Ten

7/10 for ease of preparation
(nothing technical but a fair amount of chopping and I also always find mashed potato takes me longer than expected)

10/10 for taste and enjoyment

6/10 for health and slimming
(mashed potato is never a winner on the slimming front)

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