Smoked Trout with Horseradish, Beetroot and Cress Recipe

This smoked trout with horseradish, beetroot and cress is an elegant way to start a dinner party - there's minimal effort involved and yet it's really delicious and the perfect combination of flavours and textures. The beetroots add a little sweetness, to cut through the smoked trout and fiery horseradish.

You could also serve this simple starter with some homemade croutons - drizzle a bread of your choice with olive oil and add a little salt and pepper and stick them in the oven until they are nice and crunchy. If you put them in a nice bowl in the middle of the table, your guests can help themselves.

If you don't have any cress or can't get your hands on it, you can use watercress which you can find easily in most supermarkets.

How to make Smoked Trout with Horseradish, Beetroot and Cress:

Ingredients

• 4tbsp grated horseradish
• 4tbsp crème fraîche
• 4 fillets smoked trout
• 200g cooked baby beetroot (preferably not in vinegar), halved if large
• 2 boxes mustard cress, leaves trimmed from base
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Mix the horseradish with the crème fraîche to form a loose paste, then season it well with freshly ground black pepper.

2. Cut the trout fillets in half diagonally and sit in the middle of the plate. Place a small stack of beetroot on top of the fish, then scatter over the cress. Spoon the horseradish sauce around the fish and serve with the lemon wedges on the side, to squeeze over.