The British Trout Association has created a dreamy recipe guaranteed to tug on the heart strings this Valentine’s Day. Inspired by Italy – the home of romance – this Smoked Trout Cannelloni dish will be sure to impress. One of the most popular pasta dishes, cannelloni usually has a meat and tomato filling, but smoked trout makes a delicious change in this healthy version especially when served with a green salad.
The FSA (Food Standards Agency) recommends eating two portions* of oily fish each week, as it provides essential vitamins and fatty acids that are an important part of a healthy diet, and for those watching their waistlines, trout is lower in calories than many other oily fish, including salmon and mackerel.
British Trout is widely available as whole fish, already filleted or either hot or cold smoked. UK trout is farmed to the highest standards, and as well as being good for health, it is also better for your pocket, being priced more competitively than other oily fish.
Smoked Trout Cannelloni recipe
Serves 4–6
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
60ml/4 tbsp vegetable stock
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
2.5ml/1â„2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 smoked trout, about 400g/14oz, or 225g/8oz fillets
75g/3oz/1â„2 cup frozen peas, thawed
75g/3oz/11â„2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
16 no pre-cook cannelloni tubes
salt and ground black pepper
For the sauce
25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter
25g/1oz/1â„4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
350ml/12fl oz/11â„2 cups skimmed milk
freshly grated nutmeg
25ml/11â„2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
METHOD
1 Put the onion, garlic clove and stock in a large pan. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the stock has reduced entirely.
2 Stir in the tomatoes and dried herbs. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick.
3 Skin the trout with a sharp knife. Flake the flesh, discarding any bones. Put the fish in a bowl and add the tomato mixture, peas and breadcrumbs. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper.
4 Spoon the filling generously into the cannelloni tubes and arrange them in an ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven to 190ËšC/375ËšF/Gas 5.5
5 Make the sauce. Put the butter, flour and milk into a pan and cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring all the time. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and grated nutmeg.
6 Pour the sauce over the stuffed cannelloni and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.
For further information please visit For further information please visit www.britishtrout.co.uk
* The FSA (Food Standards Agency) recommends that girls, women who would like to have children and pregnant women should eat two portions of oily fish per week. Men and women should eat four portions of oily fish each week. One portion is approx 140g.
Nutritional information (sourced from Food Standards Authority)
Omega 3 – These fatty acids have been shown to help protect against coronary heart disease.
Vitamin A – Helps to maintain healthy skin, strengthen immunity to infection and help vision.
Vitamin D – Helps to promote healthy bones and teeth.
Selenium – Plays an important role in our immune system’s function, in thyroid hormone metabolism and in reproduction. It is also part of the body’s antioxidant defence system, preventing damage to cells and tissues.