Even though I’m hosting this month’s ‘In the Bag’ event I couldn’t let it pass me by without entering myself. I hope you’re enjoying it, I certainly am and I’m seeing some very inventive dishes being entered. But then, how can you not enjoy such fabulous seasonal ingredients as these? We’re in asparagus season after all, and asparagus is arguably one of the very best of the British crops. We also have crisp, fresh spring onions in this month’s bag along with beautiful pink sea trout.
I’ve combined these wonderful ingredients here in a creamy, lemony fish pie topped with spring onion mash and parmesan cheese.
Sea Trout tastes like a slightly milder, lighter version of salmon, so the lemon is a natural partner and the light green spring onion and asparagus adds texture and freshness. The asparagus cooks perfectly from raw in this pie, with a good bite to it – so long as you don’t chop it too small; keep it bite-sized. This is quite a light, fresh-tasting fish pie, despite the cream. I think the percentage of vegetables, along with the lemon, make this the case.
Lemon Asparagus and Sea Trout Pie
I’ve given measurements as a guide but please don’t get hung up on them, really use what as little or as much as you fancy.
Sauté 2 chopped shallots in a large knob of butter until softened. Add a good slosh of vermouth (or white wine) and allow to sizzle until reduced. Next add about 300ml of double cream and a handful of chopped flat-leafed parsley. Season well; using a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add the zest and juice of one lemon, stir well and simmer until the sauce is thickened.
In the meantime boil and mash some potatoes for the topping and stir in a couple of chopped spring onions.
To assemble the pie chop about 500g of skinless sea trout fillets and scatter in an ovenproof dish. Add in as much chopped asparagus as you like (I used 3 stems). You could add in some other green veg if you wanted, such as tenderstem broccoli which I used (because I happened to have in the fridge). Now pour over the sauce and top with the mashed potato. Sprinkle over some grated parmesan cheese and bake at 200c for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
