Smoked trout with horseradish Catalan

Smoked trout with horseradish Catalan is a unique dish that combines the smoky richness of trout with the spicy tanginess of horseradish Catalan sauce. This dish is perfect for those who love a classic seafood dish with a twist.

Recipe compliments of La Motte.

Chef Nanda Cardosa’s smoked trout with horseradish Catalan, croutons and pickles.

Time: 1 ½ hours | Servings: 4 as a starter

Ingredients

For the horseradish Catalan

• 50 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 60 g free-range egg yolks
• 40 g whole free-range eggs
• 250 ml fresh cream
• 1 gelatine leaf
• 30 ml creamed horseradish
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the smoked trout

• 1 trout fillet (about 250 g)
• 25 g castor sugar
• 25 g fine salt
• 200 g smoking chips

For the croutes

• ¼ loaf of sourdough bread, broken into small chunks
• 10 ml olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

To complete the dish  

• 1 lemon, peeled and cut into segments
• 10 g gherkins, cut into quarters
• 10 g pickled cocktail onions, cut into quarters
• 10 g bronze fennel
• 5 g chive flowers

Method

For the horseradish Catalan

1. Place the parmesan cheese, egg yolks and eggs together in a pot. Mix together using a whisk.
2. Pour in the cream and mix again. Place the pot onto a medium heat. Continue to cook the custard until it thickens and starts to curdle. Remove from the heat and transfer the custard into the jug of a blender.
3. Place the gelatine leaf into a bowl of cold water and leave to hydrate until soft, then remove from the water and squeeze out any excess water, add into the jug with the custard.
4. Add the creamed horseradish into the custard. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour the custard into a piping bag and refrigerate until cool and set.

For the smoked trout

1. Check the trout fillet to ensure that all the bones have been removed, place skin side down onto a small tray. Mix the sugar and salt together in a bowl then use a spoon and scoop all of the mixture over onto the flesh side of the trout fillet. Place in the refrigerator and leave to cure for 1 hour.
2. After one hour remove the trout from the fridge and gently rinse under cold running water until all of the sugar and salt mixture has been removed. Place onto paper towel and gently pat dry.
3. Line a baking tray with tinfoil then scatter the smoking chips onto the tin foil, use a blow torch to light the smoking chips, once they are burning place a cooling rack over the chips.
4. Place the trout fillet onto the cooling rack and use tin foil to close the tray with the trout – ensure that the tinfoil is sealed all around to keep the smoke inside.
5. Allow the trout fillet to smoke for 15 minutes before removing from the tray.
6. Once the trout fillet is dried, use a sharp carving knife carefully trim off the skin.
7. Carve the trout fillet into thin slices (about 2 mm thick).
8. On a flat surface lay out a layer of cling film. Place the slices of the trout flat down the centre of the cling wrap.
9. Cut the tip off of the piping bag of the horseradish Catalan and then pipe the Catalan down the centre of the of the trout.
10. Use the cling wrap to help lift the trout to roll up into a long cylinder.
11. Carve into four portions.

For the croutes

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the sourdough bread chunks into a bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread the croutes out onto a baking tray and place into the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes toss the croutes around. If they are not completely dried and crisp, place back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.

To complete the dish

1. Place the portion of the smoked trout roll onto the side of the plate.
2. Next to the trout place the sourdough croutes onto the plate followed with the gherkins, lemon segments, pickled onions, bronze fennel and chive flowers.