Salmon or Sea Trout with Potted Shrimp Recipe

This recipe is brought to you by Searcys Executive Chef at Blenheim Palace, Alun Roberts. A firm favourite with our guests to The Orangery at Blenheim Palace, simple to do, with 20 minutes overall time to prepare, cook and serve.

This is a very simple dish, at Blenheim at we are rather land-locked we use our local trout fishery at Bibury which is England’s oldest trout fisheries. You can, of course, use salmon fillets which will work as well. Our executive chef Alun Roberts uses a much-forgotten Vermouth instead of wine, though if one hasn’t got white vermouth such as Dry Martini around, any white wine will do as long as its one would be more than happy to have a glass of.

During February Alun prepares this dish with spinach, instead of green beans, but you can use frozen or prepared green beans if you wish.

If you really are committed you can make your potted shrimps, and then put the others in the freezer for another day, or simply buy some Morecambe potted shrimps, which are available from all good supermarkets or deli, or order on online

For the warm potted shrimps, cream, and chive sauce

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
• 3 dessertspoons white vermouth or white wine
• 2 teaspoons chopped chives
• 2 dessertspoons of cream
• 50g butter
• 150g brown shrimps or 2 pot of Morecambe bay potted shrimps( if you can’t get hold of brown shrimps, prawns can easily be substituted)
• Seasoning
• Cayenne pepper
• Lemon juice

Method

• Lightly fry the shallot with 10g of the butter in a small saucepan, add the vinegar and vermouth or wine and reduce until virtually all has evaporated.
• Add cream, bring to the boil and whisk in the cold butter. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Add the brown shrimps and chopped parsley and keep warm.

For the Spinach

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 1tblsp water
• 250g spinach picked and washed well, ( 1 packet of supermarket prepared spinach)
• Sea salt and freshly milled pepper
• 1 clove garlic peeled but kept whole

Method

Put the butter and water in a pan; add the spinach and lightly season with sea salt and freshly milled pepper.

• Spear the garlic with a fork and stir the spinach with it well. Place on a high heat and cook till soft, discard the garlic.

For the Salmon

• Remove all the scales from the salmon using the back of a spoon or blunt knife. Remove any bones using a pair of tweezers or pliers.
• To cook put in a hot pan skin side down, with a little oil, until golden and crisp – approximately 5 minutes.
• Flip over for a further 30 seconds and add a squeeze of lemon juice and re-season with sea salt. Serve on a bed of prawns, and green beans and spoon around the chive and Vermouth sauce.

To serve

Place the salmon and top the plate with a good spoonful of shrimps at the side and serve with the spinach.

We would love to see your creations! Tag us on social media@SearcysLondon #StayinwithSearcys