Angela Hartnett makes fish taste 'elevated' by pairing with simple sauce

Fish is a fantastic choice for a speedy midweek supper or the centrepiece of a showstopping meal worthy of an A-list Hollywood celebrity. It is remarkably straightforward to prepare and complements a wide range of ingredients beautifully.

In a recent episode of the Dish from Waitrose podcast, celebrated UK chef Angela Hartnett revealed how home cooks can transform a simple fish dish into something truly special. Preparing a feast for actress Rosamund Pike, the chef was given free rein to be creative, settling on an unfussy fish recipe for the star. In a recent TikTok video, Angela selects a delicate trout as her key ingredient.

The caption read: "Looking to upgrade your fish dish? This week we're elevating rainbow trout with beetroot and brown butter – simple, bright and #RosamundPike approved!"

Angela teams the rainbow trout with beetroot to lend the dish a vibrant splash of colour, and shares a handy tip to make them really sing. She explained: "Before cooking, Angela seasons the beetroot with a dash of red wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a couple of thyme leaves. It gives a gentle, pickle‐like tang that makes the flavours pop."

To bring the fish alive, there is no need for a complicated or heavy sauce — in fact, butter is all that is required. Angela prepares a burnt butter — also known as beurre noisette — sauce, reports The Mirror.

Browning the butter draws out a rich, nutty flavour without overwhelming the fish. Simply foam the butter in a hot saucepan, adding a splash of lemon juice and some zest. When the dish was served to Rosamund, the actress responded: "Mm. I'm loving it."

The video has already clocked up over 70,200 views, garnering 4,818 likes and 12 comments. One viewer said: "Did you keep the skin on the beets? Everything looks yummy!!!"

Blahnana commented: "Absolutely gorgeous! What temp for the oven please."

Wiggles wrote, "This looks so fresh. I never do fish but this almost looks like a one pan job. Stunning," while Alec agreed, "Simply lovely."

So if you're on the lookout for a straightforward way to transform a modest fish supper, here's how to recreate Angela's recipe in your own kitchen.

Roast trout with brown butter

Ingredients

• One bunch beetroot (around 700g), scrubbed and cut into wedges
• Three tbsp olive oil
• Six shallots, peeled and halved
• 250g pack Two Scottish loch trout fillets
• One unwaxed lemon, zest of all, juice of ½, ½ sliced
• 60g unsalted butter
• ½ x 20g pack dill, roughly chopped
• Five tbsp pomegranate seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Spread the beetroot across a large roasting tin, drizzle over two tbsp oil and toss to coat. Season with salt, then roast for 20 minutes.

Turn the beetroot and add the shallots with a pinch of salt, turning to coat in the oil; roast for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile, pat the fish dry. Rub the fillets all over with the remaining one tbsp oil, then season on both sides.

Remove the tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C, gas mark 7. Turn the vegetables and arrange them together to form a base for the fish.

Cover the vegetables with the lemon slices, then top with the trout skin-side up. Roast for eight minutes, until the fish skin is golden and the flesh is cooked, opaque and flakes easily. While the fish is cooking, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat.

Turn up the heat, then allow to bubble for a couple of minutes, until the white solids in the butter become golden brown and emit a nutty aroma. Add the lemon zest and juice, then take off the heat.

When the fish is cooked, drizzle the butter mixture over the top, then sprinkle with the dill and pomegranate seeds. Serve alongside steamed new potatoes and green beans, if desired.