Sewin with Butter and Samphire

Name: Sewin with Butter and Samphire
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 600 g sewin (sea trout) fillets; 50 g salted welsh butter; 150 g marsh samphire; 1 tbsp rapeseed oil; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 1 whole Lemon; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley; 0.5 tsp Black pepper

Tender sewin fillets with crisp skin, pan-fried in rich butter and served with vibrant, salty coastal samphire.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· West Wales

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 380 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

600 g sewin (sea trout) fillets — 4 skin-on, scaled fillets, pin bones removed
50 g salted welsh butter — divided into two portions
150 g marsh samphire — rinsed thoroughly, woody bottom stems snapped off
1 tbsp rapeseed oil — for frying
1 tbsp Lemon juice — freshly squeezed
1 whole Lemon — cut into wedges to serve
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
½ tsp Black pepper — freshly ground

Equipment

•Large heavy frying pan
•Fish slice
•Kitchen paper
•Tongs

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 380 kcal
fat: 27 g
carbs: 2 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 32 g
calories: 380 kcal

Instructions

1
Pat the sewin fillets completely dry with kitchen paper.
2
Season the flesh side lightly with freshly ground black pepper.
3
Heat the rapeseed oil and 15g of butter in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat.
4
Lay the fillets skin-side down in the hot pan.
5
Press down gently on each fillet with a fish slice for 30 seconds.
6
Cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp.
7
Flip the fillets carefully and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
8
Transfer the fish to warm plates and rest while finishing the samphire.
9
Add the remaining 35g of butter and the samphire to the pan.
10
Sauté over high heat for 2 minutes until tender-crisp.
11
Stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley.
12
Spoon the butter and samphire over each fillet and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Avoid salting the fish before cooking, as the samphire and salted butter provide plenty of natural salinity. Pressing the fillets flat as soon as they hit the pan ensures the skin stays in contact with the hot metal for maximum crispness.

Ingredient substitutions

sewin (sea trout) → wild brown trout or wild salmon fillets
marsh samphire → young asparagus spears or blanched fine green beans
salted Welsh butter → unsalted butter with a small pinch of sea salt

Storage

Keep any cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Reheating

Warm gently in a covered pan over low heat with a tiny splash of water or butter until just heated through.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding extra salt to the pan, which makes the naturally salty samphire overpowering.
•Overcooking the delicate sewin flesh until it turns dry.
•Putting wet fish skin into the pan, which causes it to steam rather than crisp.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside buttered new potatoes sprinkled with fresh mint.Pair with crusty sourdough bread to mop up the pan juices.Offer extra lemon wedges at the table for squeezing.