This old-fashioned savoury makes a great lunch with toast. It would also make an elegant, if minimalist, starter for a more formal meal.
Ingredients
- Generous handful fresh parsley, about 50g
- Generous handful fresh sorrel or leaf of your choice, about 50g
- 25g anchovy fillets, washed and drained
- 100g butter, softened
- 1/4 nutmeg, grated
- 2 hot smoked trout fillets
- Hot toast, to serve
Method
- 1. First blanch the parsley. Throw it into a pan of boiling water and drain immediately. Allow to cool, then thoroughly wring out with your hands, removing all excess moisture.
- 2. Chop the parsley, sorrel and anchovies very finely, until you almost have a paste. Gently mix with the butter, nutmeg and seasoning until fully incorporated (use a mini food processor if you have one).
- 3. Spoon into ramekins and serve with the smoked trout and toast. If making the butter in advance, soften at room temperature for 1 hour. Alternatively, use the butter to served with grilled meat or fish. Salmon is perfect, as is leg of lamb.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 577kcals, 47.5g fat (27.6g saturated), 21.9g protein, 18g carbs, 2.6g sugar, 4g salt
Chef's tip
You can use eel or mackerel instead of trout. My favourite leaf for the butter is sorrel, but you could use watercress or rocket, or another herb to twin with the parsley, such as tarragon or chervil. If you swap another leaf for sorrel, blanch it with the parsley.