Name: Trout with lovage, pea purée & crisp spring onions
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
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

A plate serving trout with lovage, pea purée & spring onions

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

For the purée

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

To serve (optional)

new potatoes
sliced and roasted
green salad

Method

step 1
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.
step 2
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.
step 3
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.
step 4
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.