Poached trout with beetroot & crispy Burford Brown eggs

As promised last week, here is the second recipe from the Waitrose Cellar Spring Foodie Case. A wonderful poached trout paired with a delicious white wine from Vasse Felix. If you missed the fabulous beer-battered fish & chips with Cave De Lugny Sparkling Burgundy, it's time to catch up!

The Spring Foodie Case is now £83.94 at Waitrose Cellar and is delivered with the leaflet containing all the recipes. Get free delivery and order any 6 bottles at Waitrose Cellar.

Recipe

Serves 2

Prepare 20 minutes + poaching

Cook 1 hour + 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium red beetroot
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 20g pack fresh thyme

For the dressing:

• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 75ml extra virgin olive oil

For the crispy eggs:

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 Burford Brown eggs
• 2 Burford Brown eggs, beaten
• 100g panko breadcrumbs

For the trout:

• 1 fillet of trout, pin-boned
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1 stick of celery, roughly chopped
• 300ml white wine
• 1 bay leaf

For the popcorn capers:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 20g large capers

Wash the beetroot and bring to the boil for around 1 hour with the coriander seeds and thyme (reserving 1 sprig). Remove from the pan, allow to cool, then peel and dice into 1cm cubes.

Meanwhile, place the mustard, vinegar and sugar in a bowl and drizzle in olive oil. Whisk until you have a smooth dressing. Season, reserve 2 tbsp of the dressing, then add diced beetroot.

Place eggs into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and place into a bowl of iced water – once they have cooled you can gently peel them. To breadcrumb the eggs, place the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls. Place the peeled eggs into the flour, then into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs.

For the trout, place onion, leek, peppercorns, celery, white wine, reserved thyme sprig, bay leaf and 600ml cold water in a shallow pan and simmer. Place the trout skin-side up into the water, making sure it is covered. Cook for 2 minutes then remove and place onto kitchen paper. Once cooled, remove the skin.

For the popcorn capers, place the oil and capers into a shallow frying pan and gently fry over a low heat for 5 minutes or until they burst open and become crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.

Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180°C. Lower the eggs into the fryer and cook until golden brown (about 1 minute) then drain on kitchen paper. Mix the salad leaves with the diced beetroot and divide between 2 serving plates, arranging in the centre like a nest. Scatter over the popcorn capers, place a crispy egg in each nest and flake the trout into 2 or 3 pieces around the edges. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the leaves and serve.

To Pair With...

Vasse Felix Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Produced in Margaret River region in Australia, this wine is a classic Bordeaux white blend with a textural dimension from the Semillon and amazing purity of gooseberry and red apple.

Its uplifting taste and fruit flavours give a sweetness that makes it a perfect partner for the aromatic trout.

View the Spring Foodie Case booklet containing all the recipes.