Article: Seared Trout with Asparagus Ragout
Seared Trout with Asparagus Ragout
SEARED TROUT FILLETS WITH ASPARAGUS RAGOUT
A beautiful new seasonal asparagus dish kindly prepared for ChalkStream by former Michelin star chef Herbert Berger.
Get ahead by making the ragout in advance and warming through when you are ready to cook the trout. Serve with a bowl of Jersey Royal potatoes. The ragout is also excellent with our fishcakes.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 Fillet portions of fresh ChalkStream® trout 130g each
20 medium size asparagus
50g finely chopped shallots
20g of butter
175 ml dry white wine, (Sauvignon blanc preferably)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
150 ml fish stock (optional)
100 g small white button mushrooms
Add a few fresh or dried morels (optional)
200 ml double cream
150 ml crème fraiche
A good pinch of chopped parsley or chervil
A small pinch of chopped fresh tarragon (not dry)
¼ lemon
Salt to taste
Few drops of tabasco, cayenne pepper or ground white pepper
30g unsalted butter
White or black truffle oil (optional)
Method:
Remove the skin and trim the trout steaks into a nice shape, keep the trimmings to make the stock.
Cut the tip of the asparagus at an angle, about 1.5 inch long, cook in strong saltwater for about 1minute, refresh in cold water. Keep aside in a small pan covered with cold water and season with a little salt.
Cut the tender part of the asparagus at an angle into about ¼ of an inch slivers. Cook in strong salt water for about 30 seconds, refresh and drain. Keep the rest of the asparagus, about 1.5 inch of the woody end, for the stock. No need to peel the asparagus unless the skin is tough.
Wash the button mushrooms, cut off the stalk, cut into quarters. If you wish to add fresh morels which are fabulous and in season, clean them thoroughly, remove the stalk and cut the head into small strips. You can use dried morels, but they need to be soaked in water for 24 hours. You only need about 2 mushrooms per person. Make sure they are free of grit.
To make the fish stock put the trout trimmings, the mushroom trimmings, the shallots trimmings and the end bits of the asparagus, parsley and tarragon stalks in a pan, cover with about 300ml of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until reduced by half, strain through a fine sieve and put aside.
To make the ragout put 20g of butter into a saucepan, melt but do not brown, add the shallots and gently cook until tender but without colour, best if you keep adding just a few drops of wine or water and cover with a lid so it doesn’t dry or brown, when soft deglaze with the vinegar and let it fully evaporate, add the white wine and the fish stock and reduce by 2/3rd , add the mushrooms and cook until soft, add the cream and crème fraiche and simmer until you have a nice thick creamy consistency, season to taste and set aside. You can do this well in advance of serving.
Season the trout with sea salt and pepper and sear in a nonstick pan with a little oil and butter until golden brown, best to keep the trout slightly pink in the middle. Keep warm.
Heat up the sauce, add the sliced asparagus and bring to the boil, adjust the seasoning, work in 30g of cold unsalted butter, a squeeze of lemon and the herbs
To dress the dish warm up the trout, warm up the asparagus tips in the water, drain and shine them with a little melted butter.
Use a bowl type plate, pour in a generous amount of the ragout, place the trout on top, garnish with the asparagus tips and sprinkle with a few drops of either white or black truffle oil.
Serve with Jersy Royals on the side or you can crush them and use as a plinth under the trout supreme.
