Rainbow Trout with Prawns and Watercress SauceServes 4

4 x 200g fillets fresh rainbow trout or sea trout, pin-boned but not skinned

1 bunch watercress, trimmed, well washed and drained Choose watercress with small leaves if possible

Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped

½ fennel bulb, thickly sliced

1 celery stick, thickly sliced

1 medium carrot, thickly sliced

1 bay leaf

small bunch fresh thyme

12 large raw prawns or crayfish, in their shells (roughly 350g)

1 heaped tbsp tomato puree

200ml dry white wine

300ml water

½ tsp flaked sea salt

4-5 tbsp double cream

1 tsp sunflower oil

25g butter

FOOD FACTS During medieval times the Church stated

that every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and festive periods such as Lent, should be non-meat eating days. Freshwater and sea fish were eaten instead. As it was difficult and costly to transport fresh fish any distance, pickled herring and dried salted cod were also available.

Medieval cooks were very creative in their definitions of “fish”. Beaver counted as fish because of its scaly tail. Barnacle goose also counted as fish. It was thought that Barnacles and Barnacle geese were different stages of the same creature’s life cycle. Seal, porpoise, sturgeon and whale also appeared on menus.

Historical facts provided by Monica Askay, Cook and Food Historian

①Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Gently fry the onion, fennel, celery and carrot for 15 minutes or until softened and golden brown, stirring often. While the vegetables are cooking, peel the prawns or crayfish. Cut down the back of each prawn or crayfish with a small, sharp knife and remove the black intestinal track – it will look like a very thin elastic band. Put the shell fish meat on a plate, cover with cling film and pop in the fridge to keep cold. Put all the shells, including the heads, in the pan with the vegetables. Add the bay leaf and thyme.

②Cook for 5 minutes over a medium high heat, crushing the shells with a wooden spoon to extract as much flavour as possible. Stir often to ensure the vegetables do not burn. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.

③Pour the wine into the pan and allow to bubble furiously while stirring well to lift the sediment from the bottom of the pan. Add the water and salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

④Remove the pan from the heat and strain the liquid through a colander lined with muslin set over a medium saucepan. Press the shells with a ladle to squeeze out as much of the stock as possible. You should end up with around 200ml. Return the stock to the hob and bring to the boil. Boil hard until the liquid has reduced to around 75ml. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

⑤To cook the trout, melt the butter with the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Season the trout fillets on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the fish, skin side down over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Turn over, peel off the skin and cook on the other side for a further 2-3 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer to a warmed plate and leave to stand.

⑥Bring the stock reduction back to the boil. Reduce the heat a little and stir in the double cream. Cook for 1 minute more and adjust seasoning to taste. Add a little extra cream if the sauce is too intense. Stir in the prawn or crayfish meat and return to a gentle simmer. Cook for 1 minute until the prawns are completely pink and just beginning to curl. Remove from the heat.

⑦ Divide the watercress between four warmed plates and top with the fish fillets, keeping most of the watercress to one side. Tip any juices that have collected underneath the fish into the sauce. Use a slotted spoon to scoop up the prawns or crayfish and drop gently on top of the fish. Pour a little of the sauce over and put the rest into a warmed jug to serve separately. Serve.

FOOD FACTS Brown trout is the trout that’s native to

Europe and is also known as sea trout when on its migration route. Rainbow and Cutthroat trout are native to North America and are both now farmed in large numbers in Britain.

Watercress is found in the wild in Europe and Asia and also in America since it was introduced by European immigrants. It was thought to have had a wide range of medicinal uses over the years, including as an aphrodisiac, a cure for baldness and to restore youth.

Historical facts provided by Monica Askay, Cook and Food Historian