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switch the fish: sesame seared japanese loch trout.


If you're a regular here on my little blog, you'll know that I do love my seafood. Salmon sashimi, king prawn tempura and light and crispy calamari to name a few favourites. Even though I'm open to all fish varieties, and love using sustainable coley, pollack and river cobbler in place of white fish, it isn't often enough that I create recipes with lesser known fish varieties. 


Sainsbury's are challenging food bloggers to create recipes with alternative fish offerings - a campaign aiming to broaden the choice of fish we all eat. If customers asks for one of the "big five fish" that make up 80% of the fish sales in the UK (salmon, tuna, haddock, cod or prawns) they will be offered a portion of either sea bass, coley or hake for free.

I went for loch trout and decided to put my favourite spin on a recipe - Japanese. Inspired by the fragrant flavours of Japan, this recipe features a zingy soy and sesame marinade, steamed veg, sticky sushi rice and lots of sesame seeds to create a donburi style rice bowl with seared sesame trout laid on top.



Shopping list 
(Serves two)
♥ 2 fillets of loch trout
♥ 100g sushi rice
♥ Sesame seeds
♥ Choi sum or pak choi
♥ One carrot
♥ Tenderstem broccoli
♥ Rice wine vinegar
♥ Fresh coriander, to serve

For the Japanese sauce 
♥ One clove of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
♥ One inch of fresh garlic
♥ 1 tsp of lazy red chilli
♥ Half a lime
♥ 1 tsp sugar
♥ 2 tbsp of soy sauce
♥ 1 tbsp of miso paste
♥ 1 tbsp of tahini paste

Step one. Create the sauce by mixing the garlic, ginger, chilli and lime with the condiments. This sauce will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge so you could make a batch to enjoy on other noodle and rice dishes. Feel free to alter the recipe if you want more of a zing, kick or galicky flavour - it's as easy as that.


Step two. Rinse your sushi rice under a cold tap. Bring to the boil in a saucepan of hot water. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on. Take off the heat and set aside, still with the lid on.

Step three. Meanwhile, coat your trout in a little of the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.


Step four. Heat up a frying pan and preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Get a baking tray and foil at the ready.

Step five. When your pan is hot, sear the trout sesame seed side down. carefully turn over and crisp up the skin side too. This will only take a matter of minutes. (Look at that beautiful colour!)


Step six. Transfer to your baking tray and cook for a further 10-12 minutes.


Step seven. Now for your vegetables. Chop and prepare your veg. Grate your carrot and slice your choi sum. 


Step eight. You can now either steam or boil the broccoli and choi sum for 5-7 minutes. I like to steam in my bamboo steamer over a pan of boiling water, but boiling is also fine.


Stop check: By now you should have your sushi rice ready, keeping warm under the saucepan lid. Your trout will be almost ready in the oven, or if already ready just turn it off to keep warm. You vegetables should be cooked and ready to season.

Step nine. Toss your veg together with a generous helping of soy sauce. You could use your newly made sauce here too if you liked.


Step ten. Begin your donburi bowl with a layer of rice. Season your sushi rice to taste with rice wine vinegar. 


Step eleven. Add your vegetables in an artful way.


Step twelve. Finally lay on your sesame seared trout.

Chop sticks poised; add a dash of coriander, extra squeeze of lime, lashing of sauce and enjoy! 


As you may have guessed, if you haven't tried before, freshwater loch trout is very similar to salmon. So perhaps you could adapt your favourite salmon recipe for trout?

What are your favourite alternative fish recipes? Will you be switching the fish?

Find our more at sainsburys.co.uk/switchthefish or on the Twitter hashtag #switchthefish

Note: In collaboration with the Sainsbury's blogger network. All opinions, recipes, photographs and appetite are my own.

7 comments:

  1. This looks so delicious. I love fish and try to buy sustainable as much as possible (labelling). Thanks for a super recipe. Sammie x http://www.feastingisfun.com

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  2. OMG Emily, this looks stunning! I love the bowls you've served in too, very pretty! Such a simple, but I am going to assume, very tasty dish!

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  3. Looks yummy Emily I love sea trout but never had freshwater trout so will be giving it a try.

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