Smoked trout with pickled cucumber and beurre blanc

Adam Byatt’s smoked trout with pickled cucumber and beurre blanc pairs gently poached semi-smoked trout with sharp pickled cucumber, aromatic dill oil and a rich, silky beurre blanc. Finished with trout roe, pickled dulse and sea purslane, it is an elegant, dinner party-worthy seafood dish with a fresh, sustainable-feeling balance of richness and acidity.

This smoked trout recipe scores a Nutri-Score of C. It contains oily fish, cucumber, dill, spinach and seaweed, but the beurre blanc and butter bring a high level of saturated fat.

How the timings work

• One gentle hob heat does the final cook: hold the trout poaching liquid at 55C for 8–10 minutes, while the beurre blanc is made and reheated at the end.
• The day before: make and chill the dill oil, then pickle the cucumber and dulse. Both need an overnight rest in the fridge.
• While the dill oil chills overnight: there is no further hands-on work; the pickling liquor, cucumber and dulse are prepared alongside it.
• On the day: strain the dill oil, make and sieve the beurre blanc, then poach the trout for 8–10 minutes at 55C.
• During the final few minutes: drain the cucumber, peel the trout skin, reheat the sauce without boiling and finish it with herbs, shallot, roe and dulse. Everything lands on the table together.

Method

Make the dill oil (about 15 minutes, plus overnight chilling)

1. Blend the greens: Weigh the dill and baby spinach, then add them to a blender. Add twice the weight of the greens in vegetable oil – for 100g of greens, use 200ml of oil – and blend until completely smooth and vividly green.
2. Heat gently: Pour the blended oil into a saucepan and heat it gently. Use a digital thermometer to bring it to 80C, then hold it there for 2 minutes. This mellows the raw, grassy flavour without dulling the colour.
3. Chill quickly: Pour the hot oil into a heatproof bowl set over ice and cool it quickly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pickle the cucumber and dulse (about 15 minutes, plus overnight chilling)

1. Make the pickling liquor: Pour 100ml/3½fl oz water into a small saucepan with the champagne vinegar and caster sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
2. Pickle the cucumber: Put the cucumber slices in a bowl and pour over half the pickling liquor plus 50ml/2fl oz of the dill oil. Save the remaining dill oil for another time. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Pickle the dulse: Put the fresh dulse in a separate heatproof bowl. Reheat the remaining pickling liquor, pour it over the dulse and leave it to cool completely. Drain it well, finely chop it and set it aside.

Finish the dill oil (about 10 minutes)

1. Strain without pressing: The next day, line a fine sieve with muslin cloth and strain the chilled dill oil. Do not press the solids, as this makes the oil cloudy.
2. Separate the oil: Leave the strained oil to settle, then carefully pour off the clear green oil from any water at the bottom. Set it aside.

Make the beurre blanc (about 25 minutes)

1. Reduce the base: Combine the chardonnay vinegar, dry white wine, white onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Simmer over a medium heat, stirring occasionally so the reduction does not catch, until reduced by 90 per cent.
2. Add cream: Add the double cream and simmer for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened and fragrant.
3. Emulsify: Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cold diced butter a piece at a time. Keep going until the sauce is thick, glossy and fully emulsified.
4. Pass and season: Strain the beurre blanc through a fine sieve or chinois, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Poach the trout (about 15 minutes)

1. Set up the poaching liquid: Heat 500ml/18fl oz water in a wide saucepan to 55C. Add the 100g/3½oz cold diced butter and whisk until it melts and emulsifies, then add the sea salt flakes. Hold the temperature at 55C.
2. Poach gently: Lay the four semi-smoked trout portions in the pan in a single layer. Poach gently for 8–10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 38C in the thickest part. The flesh should look opaque, feel just set and flake with very little pressure.
3. Rest and peel: Carefully lift the trout onto a tray, skin-side up. Gently peel away and discard the skin, keeping the portions intact.

Assemble and serve (about 10 minutes)

1. Drain the cucumber: Drain the pickled cucumber on kitchen paper. Arrange the slices over the trout so they overlap slightly – this keeps them in place and gives the dish its distinctive look.
2. Finish the sauce: Gently reheat the beurre blanc without letting it boil, as boiling can split it. Stir in the chopped dill, chives, diced shallot, trout roe and pickled dulse, just until they are bound by the sauce.
3. Plate: Transfer the trout to serving plates, pour the warm beurre blanc alongside and garnish with sea purslane.

Tips and swaps

• Get ahead: Make the dill oil, pickled cucumber and pickled dulse the day before. On the day, you only need to strain the oil, make the beurre blanc and poach the trout.
• Keep the sauce stable: Add the butter off the heat and never let the finished beurre blanc boil, or it may split.
• Control the poach: A digital thermometer makes this recipe much easier. Hold the water and butter at 55C and check the trout reaches 38C in its thickest part.
• Swaps: Use white wine vinegar instead of chardonnay vinegar, and replace trout roe with extra herbs if you prefer a simpler finish.
• Leftovers: Store the trout, cucumber and sauce separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the trout gently until piping hot throughout, and warm the beurre blanc very gently without boiling.

Wine Pairing

Recommended by Helen McGinn:

Gabriel Meffre Côtes du Rhône, France, 2024 — Waitrose, From £9

This Côtes du Rhône blend brings fresh fruit, gentle spice and enough acidity to cut through the rich beurre blanc. Its softer, rounded style also suits the gently poached smoked trout without overwhelming the delicate pickled cucumber and dill oil.

Here are equally good alternatives that pair beautifully with this dish:

Tesco Finest Picpoul de Pinet — Tesco, £8
A crisp, citrus-led white with lively acidity, ideal for refreshing the palate between bites of buttery trout and rich sauce.

Marks & Spencer Chablis — Marks & Spencer, £14
Chablis’ minerality and clean acidity make it a natural match for poached fish, pickled cucumber and the herbal dill oil.

Domaine William Fèvre Chablis — Waitrose, £22
A more textured Chablis-style white that gives the dish extra depth while still keeping the pairing fresh and food-friendly.

* Prices checked October 2026 and may vary. The alternatives are our suggestions, not necessarily wines recommended by Helen McGinn.

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Smoked trout with pickled cucumber and beurre blanc