River Test Trout Brunch
River Test brown trout brunch
Longparish’s River Test holds brown trout (Salmo trutta) commonly 20–35 cm, the chalk‑stream fish that fly‑fishers chase from Wherwell down to Andover.
Anglers fish two rods per beat and often favour Goldhead nymphs with Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail droppers in slower pools; a strike indicator proves handy when casting upstream so nymphs sink naturally. Tippet not finer than 5X keeps hookups honest, and early season anglers trust a Wyatt’s Deer Hair Emerger when hatches are thin.
From riverbank to plate
Fillet fresh Test trout, pat dry and dust lightly in seasoned flour. Melt butter in a hot frying pan, skin down first until crisp, then baste with elderflower butter—softened butter beaten with minced elderflowers, lemon zest and a pinch of salt—until the flesh is glossy and just cooked.
Fold Hampshire watercress with cider vinegar and rapeseed oil, pile the greens beside the trout on toasted sourdough and top with a poached egg if wanted. Spoon a spoonful of pan sauce reduced with a dash of elderflower cordial and lemon over the fillets for brightness.
The dish nods to The Compleat Angler: trout from Testside beats or the Leckford Estate take brine and butter well. Serve while the elderflower aroma lifts off the river mist and a silver flash cuts a riffle as the lunch cools.
Recommended: cast iron frying pan