Credit: Stephen Jackson
Ingredients
For the choux base:
120 ml water
45g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
A pinch of golden caster sugar
A pinch of saltsalt flakes
65g plain flour, well sifted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the potato:
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-in cubes
2 teaspoons salt salt flakes
30g unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground white pepper (black pepper will be fine)
2 litres vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
For the pickled shallot rings:
1 large banana shallot, peeled and very thinly sliced
50ml white wine vinegar
50ml red wine vinegar
50ml water
65g golden caster sugar
½ tsp salt salt flakes
For the garnish:
1 x 150g tub pate Smoked trout pâté (traditional or beetroot – or both!)
1 x 85g jar trout roe (use salmon "keta" caviar if you can’t source trout roe)
A bunch of fresh radishes
A selection of soft summer herbs (dill, fennel fronds, parsley, tarragon, etc.)
Method:
First, pickle the shallots. Heat the vinegars, water, salt and sugar in a small pan until boiling. Add the shallots, simmer for 30 seconds, then decant into a suitable container. Allow to cool then refrigerate until required.
Now for the choux. Don’t be afraid. Choux pastry sounds scary, but in reality it’s very easy to make, and tremendously satisfying! In a small pan, gently heat the water, butter, salt and sugar until it reaches a gentle rolling boil. Remove from the heat and tip in the flour, whisking until it forms a soft dough. Spread the dough out onto a plate and refrigerate. When cold, transfer to a bowl, and beat in the egg a little at a time, until you have a smooth, glossy paste. Set aside while you prepare the potatoes.
Put the diced potato in a bowl full of cold water and leave for half an hour, to allow the excess starch to leach out. Drain and rinse the potatoes, and place in a pan, covering with cold, lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (10-20 minutes), then drain and allow to steam dry. Return to the dry pan, and cook over medium heat for a minute to remove as much water as possible. Mash the potatoes, or pass through a mouli/ricer/sieve, and allow them to cool. Stir in the melted butter, then add the choux pastry and fold carefully together. Season with salt and a little pepper, press down, cover the surface with clingfilm, and leave for an hour or so. At this point you can refrigerate the dough until required, bringing it up to room temperature before frying.
To fry, heat the oil in a deep pan to 170°C. Set out a wire rack over a tray lined with kitchen roll for draining. Using a spoon or ice-cream scoop, carefully take tablespoon-sized balls of dough and gently release into the hot oil. It doesn’t matter if they are a little unevenly-shaped; we’re not going for a Michelin star here! Turn them as they puff up and become golden. After 3 or 4 minutes, remove from the oil and drain. You can keep the puffs warm in a low oven or heated proving drawer.
To serve, top with a little scoop of trout pâté, a few spheres of trout roe, a thin slice of radish, a ring of pickled shallot, and a small sprig of your chosen herbs. Devour immediately!
