Pan Fried Sea Trout, Clams, Samphire and Potatoes

Pan fried sea trout fillet with clams, Jersey Royal potatoes and samphire screams of late spring/early summer British flavours and ingredients.

This delicious fish recipe is a complete meal that looks and tastes like you spent way longer than the 35 minutes it takes you to pull this together!

Pan Fried Ocean Trout

This sort of recipe represents probably my favourite way to cook, a few simple but glorious ingredients and about half an hour at the cooker and dinner is served.

Here we have some pan fried sea trout fillets, served with Jersey royal potatoes, the majesty of samphire and some wonderfully plump clams. A splash of wine and a bit of butter rounds out what is a very simple recipe that tastes fantastic.

It’s a technique and thought process that I use in lots of fish dishes. Everything from my pan fried halibut with clams to pan fried hake with chorizo and pan fried lemon sole meuniere come from the same “school” of cooking.

The star of the dish is rightly the wonderful sea trout, a beautiful fish that has a slightly sweet and nutty flavour. And if you can’t tell from the list of recipes above, pan-frying fish is so often the best method of cooking it.

It is joined by some beautiful clams that lend the recipe a real essence of the sea. Some earthy new season Jersey Royal potatoes balance all of this fishiness.

And then some samphire, the unique and magical sea “herb” adds a little sourness and saltiness to a dish that makes me very proud!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different types of fish?

Yes, the flavours and cooking approach in this recipe allows you to cook this with fillets of many different types of fish.

The obvious sub is salmon, but you could use sea bream, sea bass, cod, haddock, halibut and many others. You should have a chat with your local fishmonger and see what they have and then get stuck in!

Do I have to use Jersey Royal potatoes?

No, any small new potato would work well. Jersey Royals have a unique taste that sings in this recipe but the season is perilously short.

Can this recipe be reheated?

No, this is a dish that needs to be eaten as soon as it is cooked. However, you can cook the potatoes up to 3 days in advance and keep them refrigerated.

If you do that then you can finish this recipe in around 12-15 minutes.

What sort of wine should I use?

You are only using a splash of wine in this recipe and as a result, I would say use something that you want to drink!

To be honest, that is pretty sage advice when cooking with wine, but if you want a recommendation something dry is best. A Spanish Albariño or French Muscadet are great with these flavours!

What is samphire?

Samphire is a sea “herb” that looks a little like very thin asparagus at first glance. But it is very different and it has a unique sour and salty flavour that I love.

If you can’t get samphire check out my serving suggestions section (below) for some alternative ideas.

Serving Suggestions

Ordinarily, this section is reserved for serving suggestions, but this pan-fried sea trout with clams and potatoes is a complete meal.

However, there are a few substitutions that can make this dish a little cheaper or more “accessible” that are better placed here.

But, before I get started I gotta give a shout-out to some bread. This recipe leaves some wonderful juices in the base of the bowl, grab yourself some ciabatta or focaccia to mop them up, you won’t regret it.

Now the subs! First and foremost samphire is an ingredient much more commonly found in the UK. So if you are from foreign shores you may struggle.

Fear not, some thin asparagus is perfect in this dish, as are some green beans and sugar snap peas. Rather than adding them after the clams have opened, add them with the clams. You will also need to add a pinch of salt to compensate for the lack of salt from the samphire.

For similar reasons, Jersey Royal potatoes may be hard to find and they are very seasonal. However, any small new waxy potato will work well, you could even use fingerling salad potatoes which add a sweetness that is delicious.

Finally the clams, yes they are delicious, but they are also expensive! A handful of mussels work really well in this recipe, they take a similar time to cook and are cheaper.

They are naturally not the same but they are still as yummy as a yummy thing with yummy sprinkles!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
• 2 x 28-30cm or 11-12″ frying pans. At least one should be nonstick and one should have a lid.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Spatula.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.