Glazed Salmon Trout recipe

1. Line a large roasting tin with cooking foil and grease it with 1 ounce of the butter.

2. Wash the fish well and tuck the bay leaves inside the body cavity. Arrange the fish in the tin on its stomach (rather than laying the fish on its side) and curling from opposite corners of the tin to give a curved shape. Dot the remaining butter over the fish. Bring the edges of the foil together, folding them over without letting the foil touch the fish. Cook in a moderate oven (160°C, 350°F) for 1 1/2 hours. Baste the fish with the juices in the tin during cooking. Remove from the oven, open out the foil and allow the fish to cool.

3. When cool, place the fish on a board and remove the skin, leaving the head and tail intact. Transfer to a serving dish and brush the fish with the liquid aspic. Arrange pieces of cucumber skin and radish slices along the side of the fish, dipping each piece into aspic before placing on the fish. Chill to set quickly.

4. Remove and discard any aspic jelly that has collected around the base of the fish. Spoon the remaining jelly over the fish and 'flood' the serving dish with a thin layer. Leave to set.

5. Sprinkle the gelatine on to the cold water in a small basin and place over a pan of simmering water until dissolved and clear. Stir this mixture into the mayonnaise and chill for about 15 minutes until thickened.

6. Place the mayonnaise in a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped nozzle and pipe a decorative design along the backbone of the fish.

7. Garnish with watercress sprigs, cucumber and lemon slices, if liked. Serve chilled, with a cucumber salad and new potatoes.