Serves 3-4

May is the best time to enjoy 
sea trout, with its delicious flavour and light, salmon-coloured 
flesh. The average trout weighs 
2-2.3kg, which is enough to feed three or four, but you may be 
able to order smaller fish (about 1kg or less in weight) from your fishmonger if you would rather serve a whole fish per person. 
A warm salad of samphire 
and Jersey Royals makes the perfect accompaniment.

• 1 whole sea trout, 2-2.3kg,
 scaled and gutted

• Sea salt and freshly ground
 black pepper

• 2 slices of lemon

• Few sprigs each of thyme 
and rosemary

• 10-12 thin streaky bacon
 rashers

• Olive oil, to drizzle

For the Jersey Royals

• 700g Jersey Royal potatoes,
 scrubbed and large ones halved or quartered

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra 
to drizzle

• 2 large shallots, peeled and
 finely chopped

• 150g samphire (optional)

• Squeeze of lemon juice

• Handful of flat-leaf parsley,
 chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/
Gas 6. Wash and pat the trout dry with kitchen paper, then lightly score both sides on the diagonal. Rub a little salt and pepper all over the fish, including inside the gut cavity. Open out the cavity and stuff it with the lemon slices and herb sprigs.

2 Arrange the bacon rashers 
in a neat row on a chopping board with their sides slightly overlapping. Place the stuffed trout in the middle and wrap 
 the bacon around it. Carefully transfer the fish to a lightly oiled baking tray. Drizzle over a little olive oil and bake in the oven 
for 25-30 minutes, until the fish 
is cooked through. To check 
that it’s done, insert a small 
knife into the thickest part and press it lightly to one side – the flesh should come away easily from the bone.

3 While the fish is in the oven, cook the potatoes. Put them into a pan of salted water and 
boil for 8-10 minutes until just tender when pierced with the 
tip of a knife. Drain well and
set aside.

4 Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the shallots 
and a little seasoning. Sweat 
them over a medium heat for 
4-5 minutes until they become translucent. Add the samphire and a squeeze of lemon juice. 
Cook for another couple 
of minutes before adding the potatoes. Season to taste – although you probably won’t 
need to add extra salt due to 
the naturally salty samphire. 
Take the pan off the heat and 
toss in the chopped parsley.

5 Pile the potato and samphire mixture into a large, warmed bowl and serve alongside the baked sea trout.

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