Sea trout: A simple and quick dish perfect for summer

To me, fresh fish and seafood from our little country’s coast make the best ingredients at any time of year, but particularly during the summer. Give me a plate with perfectly cooked fish and a cold beer or glass of white wine on a summer day and I’m a happy man.

This sea trout is a great summer dish. It’s fresh, light and it’s quick and simple to prepare. Trout tastes best when cooked medium, so leave it nice and deep pink in the middle, if this is to your taste too.

Sean Smith is head chef at the Cliff Townhouse

Sea trout with peas à la française

Serves four

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Ingredients
4 trout fillets, approximately 160g per person
400g fresh or frozen peas
200ml vegetable or chicken stock
12 pearl onions, peeled
1 head Baby Gem lettuce, leaves separated
100g bacon lardons
Knob of butter
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice
Chopped chives

Method
1. Blanch the onions in 500ml vegetable or chicken stock, butter, thyme, salt and pepper, by simmering for five minutes until cooked. Drain and place to the side.

2. Fry the bacon lardons for five minutes until crisp and drain on kitchen paper

3. Blanch the peas by bringing them to boiling point in water and then immediately drain and run under cold water.

4. Heat some oil in a large, heavy frying pan. Sprinkle salt on the fish and place it, skin side down, on the pan. Slowly cook on a medium heat. Trout tastes best when medium in the middle, which should take approximately three minutes, but cook it to your taste. When it is almost cooked, flip onto the flesh side for 30 seconds.

5. While the trout is cooking, bring 200ml of chicken or vegetable stock to a gentle boil. Place onions, bacon and peas into the pan and continue to boil for one minute until it is reduced to an emulsion. Add salt and pepper and pour onto a plate. Serve the fish on top with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped chives.

Kitchen Cabinet is a series of recipes from chefs who are members of Euro-Toques Ireland, who have come together during the coronavirus outbreak to share some of the easy, tasty things that they like to cook and eat at home #ChefsAtHome