Trout Fillets with Roasted Beetroot and Horseradish & Dill Sauce

More often than not, beetroot is presented in the worst possible way in our British shops. It's either incarcerated in a tight fitting plastic wrap, precooked, soggy and tasteless or floating around in a jar surrounded by a vicious, mouth-puckering acid purporting to be vinegar.
It's not surprising then, that most people loathe this much abused root vegetable.
Beetroot can be quite pleasant if treated with some respect in the kitchen, so naturally I was excited to see fresh bunched ones on sale.

Inspired by the Scandinavian approach to using beetroot, I conjured up a dish that has all the right Nordic elements to create something not only delicious, but a joy to look at as well. There's something wonderful about the gorgeous deep carmine coloured juice that almost bleeds from the roots and stains everything in its path.

Serves 2

Ingredients
For the beetroot
olive oil
500g fresh beetroot
1 teaspoon heather honey
half teaspoon caraway seeds
fews sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
2 tablespoons plain greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon double cream
2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

For the trout
2 thick trout fillets, skin on
smoked sea salt, black pepper and lemon rub*
olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to Gas 5.
Wash, trim and quarter the beetroot and place in a baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with caraway seeds, thyme and season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over the honey. Add a splash of water, cover the dish with tinfoil and put in the oven for about an hour until the beetroot is tender.

To make the sauce, mix all the the ingredients in a bowl until combined.

Take the trout and rub a small amount of oil on to the skin and then sprinkle on some of the rub and massage in.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan and add a small drop of olive oil, then place in the fish, skin side down and fry gently over a medium heat until the skin becomes crispy and the fish is cooked half way through. Now turn over the fillets and cook for a minute or so more.

Pile the hot beetroot on to plates, place the fish on top and spoon over the sauce.

*