Fish

Watercress baked trout recipe with eggs and sour cream

Prep: 30 mins, cook: 20 mins
4-6
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Make a summery showstopper with this delicious dish from chef, Tim Maddams, for British Trout. A watercress baked trout recipe with eggs and sour cream, it’s light, fresh and full of flavour. It makes the ideal celebratory supper.

While this dish looks impressive, it’s actually simple to make and ready to eat in under an hour. Where you can, opt for local, organic ingredients to include in this baked trout recipe. Doing so will ensure fewer food miles, a lower carbon footprint and fresh, tasty food teeming with health benefits.

Watercress makes for a delicious accompaniment to trout and is a good source of vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and manganese. It also contains vitamins K and A. These all help to promote strong teeth and good bone health and can safeguard against conditions such as brittle bones and osteoporosis.

Trout is a fabulous way to enjoy a healthy dose of omega-3s, the fatty acids that help to support eye and brain health. The NHS currently recommends that we eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. Find out more about the benefits of omega-3 in our podcast with Professor Simon Dyall.

Discover more delicious recipes from Liz Earle Wellbeing

Recipe by Tim Maddams for British Trout

Ingredients

  • 1 large (side) British trout fillet, approx. 600 – 800 g
  • 200g washed watercress
  • 2 large potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • 40ml light olive oil
  • 80ml extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon mixed dried herbs
  • 120g pot sour cream
  • 4 (or 6) eggs
  • Pinch of chilli flakes
  • 50g butter
  • Water approx. 750ml

Method

Have a large ceramic baking dish to hand – one that is big enough to hold the whole trout fillet. You will also need a jug blender.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
  2. Wash and thinly slice the potatoes – you can leave the skin on. Peel and chop the garlic, peel and slice the onion.
  3. Begin sweating the onion, garlic, and potato in a saucepan with the light olive oil over a moderate heat. Once things begin to soften a little, add some seasoning and then add some water to comfortably cover the onion, garlic, and potato – bring to a simmer and cook gently until the potato is tender.
  4. Meanwhile, generously butter your baking dish and lay the trout fillet in it, skin side down. Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the dried mixed herbs.
  5. Once the potatoes have softened, add almost all the watercress to the pan (keeping a handful back for a garnish) and simmer for just 30 seconds – then pour the contents of the pan into the jug blender – place the lid on securely and cover with a tea towel and place your hand on top of the blender to help avoid re-decorating the kitchen. Blend for 30 seconds, open, taste, correct seasoning and give it another 15 seconds – you should now have a bright green and peppery watercress sauce.
  6. Pour the still hot sauce around the fish in the dish, then crack an egg into each “corner” of the dish. Next to each egg add a good dessertspoonful of sour cream and sprinkle the eggs and the cream with a few chilli flakes. Drizzle half the extra virgin olive oil over the top and then place the whole thing in the hot oven for 20 mins (checking it after 15 to see how it’s getting on) – after this time, the eggs should be just set and the trout cooked.
  7. Rest the dish for 2 minutes then spoon out generous portions into shallow bowls, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, a few flakes of sea salt and scatter with the remaining watercress before serving.