Something fishy with Simon Rhodes from Lobsterpot Fishmongers, Wood Street, Swindon

AS SUMMER approaches it is becoming the season for wild sea trout. Not to be confused with sea-reared trout, these fish are brown trout which have migrated to the sea at an early age and return to the rivers to spawn.

Going to sea gives the trout access to a much richer source of food, so sea trout will nearly always be substantially bigger than the resident brown trout of the same river. Specimens of 10kg have been caught in the rivers of Wales and Scotland.

Sea trout can enter the river at any time from April onwards, but most will arrive in the summer and early autumn (June - October) and wait in deep pools or in areas of the river with good overhead tree cover until it is time to spawn.

They are hard to see during the day and will tend to move at night. Often the only clue that sea trout are in the river at all is a large ‘splosh’ as they jump in the dark.

In the same way that we have seen a dramatic decline in salmon, sea trout stocks are also at risk of over-exploitation. Unlike the salmon, sea trout are rarely caught by high-seas fishermen, but are particularly prone to capture as they feed along coastal margins and estuaries.

Strict laws exist to protect the salmon and sea trout in our coastal waters. These laws license a small number of fishermen to undertake netting, with strict conditions which are reviewed periodically to reflect conservation needs.

The tags are brightly coloured with a different colour for each of the next three years. Each tag has a serial number which identifies to whom it was issued. It is fitted as soon as the fish is killed and remains in place until the fish is being prepared for the table. It can only be removed by cutting it, making it tamper proof. By insisting that any sea trout you buy is part of the tagging scheme, you will be guaranteeing that your fish is local, legally caught and genuinely wild.

This means that you experience the superior quality and taste of our local sea trout, minimise on food miles, support local fishermen and help deter poaching by making their fish unsaleable.

Why not try sea trout with cauliflower purée and asparagus with broad beans?

Cut the cauliflower florets into thin slices, place in a pan with 250ml milk and 250ml/9fl oz water. Bring to the boil, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Drain and place in a blender with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid, 75g butter and 75ml cream, and blend to a purée. Season with salt and pass through a sieve. Keep warm.

Cook the asparagus in some vegetable stock with 50g butter, some chopped spring onions, sugar, salt and pepper until almost cooked. Add the broad beans and cook in the glaze for a few minutes more.

Cut the fish into squares and season with salt. Heat a little olive oil and a little butter in a frying pan and cook the fish skin-side down until golden-brown and just under-cooked. Add 20g butter and 30ml of vegetable stock. Braise the fish in the stock until cooked through. Serve with the cauliflower purée and the asparagus and broad beans.