I can’t decide what takes centre stage in this dish.
The fish is as delicious as it is versatile. However, every time I have those freshly made gnocchi pillows, they undoubtedly take a starring role as well.
Though not particularly demanding of a high level skill, this trout, gnocchi & prawns does require a few hours of your time in preparation.
The resulting dish is worthy of every second.
You’re going to want a soundtrack to this one.
La Cadenza – Rudy’s Midnight Machine
50 Ways to Leave your Lover – Paul Simon
What you’ll need: (serves 4)
Trout fillet portions x 4
large tiger prawns x 4
large white onion x 1
Carrot x 1
Large leek (finely diced) x 1
Garlic cloves x 4
Samphire x 70g
Lemon x 1/4
Single cream x 2 tbsp
Potatoes x 500g
Plain flour x 400g
Eggs x 2
Dry white wine x 200ml
Tomato purée
Smoke paprika
Bay leaves
Fresh thyme
Lemon zest
Butter
The Stock
Roughly chop your onion and carrot, and in a deep saucepan fry them in a glug of oil over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes until completely softened.
Remove the head and shells of your prawns, roughly chop, and set aside.
Cover and store the flesh in the fridge.
Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and the prawn shells/heads. Fry on a medium heat with plenty of seasoning for another 10 minutes. Add a quarter of a lemon, 3 bay leaves, and a handful of your thyme. Turn the heat down, and add about a tbsp of tomato purée and stir well.
Add 600ml of boiled water and leave to simmer for at least 2 hours, or until reduced by just over a half.
Sieve and set aside.
The Gnocchi
Boil your potatoes until soft. Strain and leave to cool completely. Season well then combine with your eggs and flour.
Mould together to form a dough, adding more flour if necessary. It shouldn’t be a wet mixture at all. On a floured surface, roll out the potato in batches into long sausages. Cut your sausage into small pillows.
Add your gnocchi in batches to salted boiling water, waiting for them to rise to the top, before removing them and setting aside on some kitchen roll.
In a large pan, fry off your leek on a high heat with a knob of butter. Add 1 crushed garlic clove, a tsp of smoke paprika and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Add your white wine and reduce on a high heat.
Add your stock and reduce a bit further on a high heat.
Add your cream and mix well, before adding your prawns and gnocchi. Turn the heat right down and stir gently.
In a separate pan, fry your seasoned trout fillets skin-side down on a low heat in a touch of butter, for around 5 minutes. Cook your samphire together with the fish. Flip over your trout and turn off the heat.
Serve the gnocchi with the trout and samphire, and a dusting of lemon zest, if you like.
Enjoy!x
Food and Tunes 