Hot-smoked trout and watercress salad with English wasabi

Prep time 10 minutes Serves 2 INGREDIENTS

● 1 x 85g bag watercress ● 1 large side hot-smoked trout, skin removed

● ½ beetroot, peeled ● 25g fresh English wasabi ● Wasabi flowers to garnish (fresh wasabi rhizome and flowers are available from www.thewasabicompany.co.uk) ● 50ml natural yoghurt ● Olive oil ● Balsamic vinegar METHOD

1 Use a Japanese mandolin or sharp knife to thinly slice the beetroot. Place the slices of beetroot into a bowl of ice-cold water; this will keep them fresh and reduce the amount of colour that will bleed into the rest of the salad.

2 Remove the slices of beetroot from the bowl and drain. Place them into a bowl along with the watercress and flake in the smoked trout. Drizzle over a little olive oil and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, then add in a pinch of salt. Toss well to coat the salad in the dressing.

3 Arrange the salad on two plates. Add a dollop of crème fraiche onto each, then grate half of the wasabi on each plate using a wasabi grater (a Parmesan grater will suffice). Finish with a few flowers and serve immediately.

Note Once fresh wasabi has been grated it should be served within a few minutes, otherwise the potency and flavour will be lost.