This dish by Chef Roberta Hall-McCarron brings together some of the finest elements of coastal cooking, pairing delicately cooked sea trout with a rich yet balanced combination of vegetables and shellfish. The crisp skin and tender flesh of the trout contrast beautifully with the buttery potato purée and the soft, subtly briny Brussels sprouts, enhanced with a hint of wakame for added depth.
At the heart of the dish is the shellfish sauce—a light, glossy emulsion built from cockles and razor clams, delivering clean, oceanic flavors without overpowering the plate. Thoughtful and precise in its execution, it’s a refined composition where each component plays a distinct role, resulting in a dish that feels both elegant and deeply satisfying.
Featured photo credit: Rebecca Dickson
Sea Trout with Razor Clams and Cockles
Roberta HallMcCarron
A refined seafood dish featuring crisp-skinned sea trout served with buttery potato purée, tender Brussels sprouts, and a delicate shellfish sauce made from cockles and razor clams. Elegant and balanced, this is a restaurant-quality plate that highlights clean flavors and careful technique.
Check the trout fillets for pin bones. Dissolve the salt in the water to make a brine, then submerge the fish for 30 minutes.
Remove, place skin-side up on a wire rack, and refrigerate uncovered for 1–2 hours to dry the skin.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 355°F (fan).
Prepare the Potato Purée
Pierce the potatoes and bake at 180°C for about 1 hour, until fully cooked.
Cut in half, scoop out the flesh, and pass through a potato ricer or mouli into a bowl.
Warm 100 g butter with the cream until melted, then gently fold into the potato. Season with salt and keep warm.
Cook the Brussels Sprouts:
Drop the oven temperature down to 170°C/ 340°F fan.
Halve and finely slice the sprouts. Melt the remaining 50 g butter in a pan over medium heat, add the sprouts, wakame powder, and a pinch of salt.
Cook gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender.
Cook the Shellfish:
Heat a large pot over high heat. Add the cockles, razor clams, wine, and 200 ml water. Cover and cook for 1–2 minutes until the shells open.
After 1 minute, check to see if the shellfish have opened. Carefully remove any that are open, and cook the rest for 1 more minute. Discard anything that stubbornly stays closed. Set the cooked shellfish aside to cool and pass the cooking liquor through a fine sieve.
Strain and reserve the cooking liquor. Allow the shellfish to cool.
Make the Sauce:
Over a medium heat, gently sweat the shallots down in a little oil and a pinch of salt until they are soft and transparent.
Add the reserved shellfish cooking liquor, bring to the boil and reduce until the liquid is almost evaporated and slightly syrupy, then whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time to get a glossy sauce. Pass through a sieve and taste to check the seasoning.
Prepare the Shellfish Garnish:
Pick the shellfish from the shells. Pull off the tough muscley pad from all the cockles and discard. Slice off the very top and bottom of the razor clams, then cut out the bulbous central section and discard.
Slice the remaining razor meat on the diagonal into 1 cm (2/5 inch) pieces. Add all the shellfish to the sauce.
Cook the Sea Trout:
Put a little oil in a frying pan – preferably one that can go in the oven – over a medium heat, then place in the sea trout fillets skin-side down. If the fish doesn't stay flat, carefully press it down with a fish slice, or take the pan off the heat for a few seconds and it will relax.
Cook for a few minutes until the skin is nice and crispy, then flip the fish over and put it in the oven for 5 minutes (transferring it to a baking tray if you need to).
To Serve:
Warm up the potatoes, sprouts and shellfish sauce if they need a little reheating. Place a fat dollop of potato purée on a deep plate, then a layer of the sprouts, then the trout.
Spoon the sauce and the shellfish all around and serve.
Notes
Chef Tips:The key to cooking shellfish is a very hot pot! The cockles and clams add a lightness to this dish which otherwise is quite rich. Clean the razor clams by standing them up in the sink so the bulbous end is pointing straight up. Leave the cold tap running: they’ll suck up the water and ‘spoot‘ it out, cleaning themselves while they’re at it.
Roberta Hall-McCarron is a leading chef in Edinburgh’s dining scene and the chef-owner of The Little Chartroom. Known for her produce-led, seasonal cooking, she creates refined yet approachable dishes that highlight the best of Scotland’s larder. Trained in some of the UK’s most respected kitchens, Hall-McCarron has developed a style that blends classical technique with a modern, ingredient-first philosophy, earning widespread recognition for her thoughtful and consistently high-quality cuisine.
