Ocean Trout with Sauce Creme and Salmon Pearls



Ingredients:

Ocean Trout

4 sides ocean trout, skinned and pin-boned

Brick Pastry Rings

3 sheets brick pastry
200g clarified butter or ghee, warmed

Sauce Crème

500ml fish stock
625ml verjuice
5 eschallots, finely diced
½ bay leaf
5 white peppercorns
1 sprig thyme
½ teaspoon salt
500ml double cream

Garnishes

60 spears of asparagus, trimmed
2 x 100g salmon pearls
Chervil, picked to serve


Method:

Ocean Trout
1. Lay the ocean trout fillets head to tail and place on top of each other skin side out.

2. Using cling film tightly wrap the fillets together, ensure the fish is wrapped at least 6-10 times with cling film. Using a rubber tie secure each end firmly.

3. Place the rolls into a steamer and steam between 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the fish.

4. Remove from the steamer and place in a fridge until completely cool.

Brick Pastry Rings
1. Preheat oven to 160C.

2. Using a pastry brush, brush each sheet of pastry then slice pastry into 0.5cm-thin strips then wrap around a 6cm-metal ring.

3. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Sauce Creme
1. For the sauce crème: place fish stock, verjuice, eschallots, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and salt into a heavy-based pan and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by two thirds. Add the cream and bring to the boil season with salt and remove from heat.

To Cook
1. Cut the fish roll into 180g steaks. Leave the wrap on.

2. Heat some oil in a large frying pan and add 3 steaks. Sear the top and the bottom of the roll and place on a tray. Repeat with remaining steaks. Place trays of fish in a 180C oven for 5 minutes, remove trays from the oven and rest it in a warm place for a further 5 minutes.

3. Blanch asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green drain. Transfer to a bowl.

To Serve
Bowl of sauce crème
Asparagus
Tray of cooked trout
Salmon pearls
Tray of brick pastry rings
Bowl of chervil sprigs

1. Place a ladle of sauce crème into the bottom of a bowl plate.

2. Place 6 asparagus spears in the centre of the sauce. Gently slip the plastic off the fish and balance it on the asparagus.

3. Place a generous teaspoon of salmon pearls on the fish and top with chervil. Lean the brick pastry ring against the fish.

Serves 10