TROUT EN CROUTE

At home, this dish is a staple for Easter, and any other occasion we get to pull it together. As with beef wellington, the hardest part is cooking the protein correctly. Back in London, at the Connaught, pastry chef Freddy had an awful day in which it seemed logical to bake this dish for 2 hours, in the hope of baking the pastry nicely all the way through. Forget the pastry, look after the fish — it costs more!

SERVES 8–10

CREPES

300 ml (10½ fl oz) milk

60 g (2¼ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 egg

a pinch of sea salt

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Cover the batter and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Heat a 22 cm (8½ inch) non-stick frying pan over medium–low heat. Pour about 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) batter into the pan and swirl to coat the pan in a thin, even layer (you want the crepes to be as thin as possible). When browned underneath, flip the crepe and briefly cook the other side, just to set the batter. Place on a sheet of baking paper.

Cook the remaining batter in the same way, stacking the crepes between layers of baking paper. You’ll need five crepes all up. (The crepes can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until required.)

FILLING

12 baby leeks, trimmed

40 g (1½ oz) butter

4 silverbeet (Swiss chard) leaves, including the white stems, shredded

olive oil, for pan-frying

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºC/Gas 2). Wash the leeks thoroughly, then place on a non-stick baking tray. Dot with the butter and season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until really tender. Cool and set aside.

Meanwhile, sauté the silverbeet in a frying pan in a splash of olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice; this will help wilt the leaves. Cool and set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE

2 skinless ocean trout fillets, each about 30 cm (12 inches) long, pin-boned

1 quantity of puff pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

Place a large sheet of baking paper on the bench. Overlap the crepes on the paper, side by side, in one long line. Try to aim for your row of crepes to be about 40 cm (16 inches) long — the same length as the pastry you are going to roll out.

Place a layer of leeks along the centre of the crepes. Place the trout fillets on top, and season head to tail. Top with the cooled silverbeet. Now use the baking paper to help roll the fish up in the crepes.

Roll out the pastry into a rectangle about 40 cm (16 inches) long, 30 cm (12 inches) wide, and about 3 mm (¹/₈ inch) thick. Now cut the pastry in half lengthways, so you end up with two pieces 15 cm (6 inches) wide and 40 cm (16 inches) long.

Place the crepe-wrapped fish on top of one of the pieces of pastry. Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg, then top with the second piece of pastry. Crimp the edges together and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. (The dish can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to cook.)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºC/Gas 6). Put the whole ensemble on a large baking tray. Brush the pastry all over with more beaten egg and score with a sharp knife. Slip the beauty into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

To check if the fish is cooked, insert a small knife into the centre and then carefully hold it against your lip — if the knife feels warm, it’s done.