Sea trout with beetroot purée recipe

Learn how to cook like a Masterchef with this impressive trout recipe from 2010 finalist Alex Rushmer - it makes a great dinner party or Valentine's Day dish

Ingredients

• 4 sea trout or salmon fillets, approx.
• 175g (6oz) each, pin boned
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• knob of butter
• juice of 1⁄2 lemon
• sprigs of watercress, to garnish

For the purée:

• 12 baby beetroots
• small bunch of thyme sprigs
• splash of olive oil
• sea salt
• splash of balsamic vinegar

For the mash

:

• 4 potatoes, chopped
• 100ml (31⁄2 fl oz) single cream
• 50g (13⁄4 oz) butter
• For the horseradish cream
• 1 banana shallot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml (9fl oz) fish stock
• 100ml (31⁄2 fl oz) single cream
• 1 tsp grated horseradish

For the kale:

• 200g (7oz) kale
• knob of butter

Method

1. For the beetroot, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Put the beetroot on a sheet of foil, add the thyme and oil and season with salt. Scrunch up the foil to seal then bake for 45 mins–1 hour, or until very soft. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven turned on.
2. Leave the beetroot to cool, then peel away the skins. Put into a blender or food processor and whizz with a little vinegar to form a purée. Spoon into a sheet of muslin and squeeze out the juice into a bowl. Reserve the juice and put the purée into a clean pan.
3. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15–20 minutes or until tender. Drain and press through a ricer. Heat the cream and butter and stir into the potatoes with plenty of seasoning. Keep warm.
4. For the horseradish cream, cook the shallot and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes to soften. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and reduce by half. Stir in the beetroot juice and reduce by half again. Strain into a pan and stir in the cream, horseradish, and seasoning to taste. Keep warm.
5. Blanch the kale in boiling salted water for 6–8 minutes, then refresh under cold running water and pat dry.
6. Put the oil in a heavy ovenproof pan to heat. Add the fish fillets, skin side down, for 3 minutes. Flip over and add the knob of butter to the pan. Spoon over the buttery juices once melted, then transfer to the oven for 5 minutes to complete the cooking. Squeeze over a little lemon juice.
7. Reheat the kale tossing it in melted butter. Divide the mash between 4 plates and top with the kale, fish and purée. Spoon the horseradish cream around the edge and garnish with the herbs.