Trout chowder is a deeply comforting dish, and one of our best trout recipes that works extremely well in the autumn months, or a chilly British summer. Paired with tomato and basil it works equally well with smoked or fresh tour, as does the trout and fried almond pate recipe.

Trout Chowder with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Serves 4-6

Trout chowder is a perfect supper dish, served in bowls with a loaf of hot, crusty French baguette. It’s more commonly made with smoked fish, and you can certainly substitute smoked trout for the fresh if you like.

■ 50g (2oz) butter
■ 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
■ 8-10 large waxy salad potatoes (Charlotte are good), peeled and chopped into chunks
■ 570ml (1 pint) fish stock (you can buy it in the supermarket)
■ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
■ 1 tsp sugar
■ 2 tbsp single cream
■ 1 tsp fresh chopped dill
■ 1 tsp fresh chopped chives
■ 225g (8oz) cooked, flaked trout
■ 4 fresh tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
■ Torn basil to garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion and cook over a moderate heat until soft and transparent.

Add the potatoes, stock, salt, pepper and sugar and simmer for about 30 minutes uncovered until the po-tatoes are soft and the liquid is thickened.

Just before serving, gently stir in the cream, chopped herbs, flaked fish and tomatoes.

Garnish with torn basil.

And if you are keen to know where to go and catch your trout first, then why not look at the top 10 trout rivers for inspiration. Or contact the Salmon and Trout Association for help.

Other Top Ten Trout Recipes