400g whole piece of very fresh trout, skinned and cut from the middle section of the fillet

50g Maldon sea salt

25g caster sugar

1 kohlrabi bulb

½ cucumber

25g dill, washed and picked

75ml water

50ml white wine vinegar

35g caster sugar

15g Maldon sea salt

200g Northiam Dairy crème fraîche

Prep time:

Cooking time: 12 hours

Total time:

Serves: 4

This easy starter is impressive in looks and taste; taking only minutes to prepare, it does need to be chilled overnight in the fridge and is a perfect light and summery dish to have ready to serve when your guests arrive. Lightly curing the fish firms the flesh and seasons it all the way through. Buy from your fishmonger or order online from chalkstreamfoods.co.uk

  1. The day before you want to eat, mix the salt and sugar for the trout together and sprinkle over both sides of the fish. Lay on a plate and put into the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours (no more than 16) turning over after 6 hours. Rinse the sugar-salt mixture off and pat dry. Chill until needed.
  2. For the pickled vegetables, use a very sharp knife or a mandolin and finely slice the kohlrabi and cucumber and put into separate bowls. Bring to the boil the water, vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the vegetables. Leave to cool and chill in the fridge until needed.
  3. To serve, cut half-centimetre slices through the trout and lay four to five slices on each plate. Combine the pickled vegetables and gently stir through the picked dill, reserving a few fronds for garnish and serve with a spoonful of crème fraîche.

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