RECIPE: Brighton’s Salt Room shares the recipe for Chalk River Trout – Asparagus, Broad Beans, Champagne Sauce

A Salt Room favorite and a dish to impress, this chalked river trout recipe is surprisingly simple and a complete delight for the taste buds. Perfect on a summer evening, with a perfectly paired glass of sparkling wine, we recommend a Chablis Sancerre Lomond Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling to accompany the champagne sauce, it’s a really clean tasting dish that has indulgence, equal amounts of flavor and freshness.

● 2 crushed garlic cloves

Slice the shallots and fennel and cook gently over medium heat in a frying pan without colouring, add your garlic and thyme Reduce by ¾ and add the champagne (keeping about 5cl for the seasoning at the end.) Reduce by half and add the double cream.

Reduce again by half, then mix everything, and pass through a strainer or sieve. Make sure the sauce is of a good consistency, if not cook it a bit longer. Season with salt, sherry vinegar and the rest of the champagne.

● Sherry vinegar to taste

Mix everything into a thick paste

● 60 g shelled broad beans

Immerse your beans in a pot of boiling water for two minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool them, then use your fingernails to break up each grain and remove the tough skin. Boil a pot of water and put your asparagus in it and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Cook the trout fillet skin side down for 2 minutes, then gently turn it over with a thin wide spatula. Cook another minute until medium-rare. Warm the asparagus with a little melted butter and add a teaspoon of the gremolata mixture. Warm the beans with a little gremolata mixture.

Place the bean mixture at the bottom of the plate, then place the trout on top. Cut the asparagus in half and place some on top and around the plate, then add the champagne sauce and enjoy.