Festival Recipe
Trout en Papillote with Spinach Butter Sauce
Recipe by Rory O'Connell
- Serves4
Ingredients
Trout en Papillote
- 4 x 175g (6oz) fillets of trout (larger fillets can be cut to size)
- 40g (1 1/2oz/scant 1/2 stick) butter salt and pepper
- 4 sprigs of fennel or thyme plus extra for garnish
- 4 sheets of parchment paper, each piece 40cm (16 inch) square approx.
Spinach Butter Sauce
- 75g (3oz) spinach leaves
- 150ml (5fl oz/generous 1/2 cup) cream
- 75g (3oz/3/4 stick) butter
Method
- Trout: Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
- Trout: Lay a piece of parchment paper on your worktop and place a portion of fish on the lower half of the paper. Add 10g (scant 1/2oz/1/8 stick) butter and season with salt and pepper. Add the herb of choice and fold the paper over from top to bottom. Seal the edges several times to achieve a tightly sealed parcel. The fish may now be placed in the fridge until later.
- Trout: To cook the fish parcels, place on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes approx. The fish should feel slightly firm to the touch. If necessary, carefully open one of the parcels and have a look inside to check that the fish is just cooked.
- To Serve: Remove the fish from the paper parcels, carefully saving the cooking juices and place on hot plates. Add some of the juices to the spinach butter sauce to achieve a coating consistency and spoon a little over each portion of fish. Garnish the fish with fennel or thyme sprigs. Pass the extra sauce separately in a sauce boat.
- Spinach Butter Sauce: Remove the stalks from the spinach leaves and save for another recipe. Cook the leaves in 600ml (1 pint/2 1/2 cups) boiling salted water until wilted and tender. Press most of the water off the cooked spinach and chop finely. Place the cream in a low-sided heavy bottom saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cream achieves a rich buttery colour and is in danger of catching on the bottom of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a couple of pieces at a time to emulsify with the cream. It may be necessary to replace the saucepan on the heat to finish melting in the butter. Fold in the chopped spinach. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Spinach Butter Sauce: Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve. Add a little of the trout cooking juices to the sauce if you wish.
