Just as the seasons change, so do our tastes. Where we once reached for a summer salad to cut through the humidity, we're instead calling on the powers of glowing coals and slow-cooking to blanket us as the weather takes on a cool edge. Chiswick head chef Taylor Cullen recognises this and is here to lead the way. Below, Cullen shares his recipe for crispy-skinned ocean trout with wood-fired cabbage and anchovy butter. A love letter to autumn.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Anchovy butter

• 200g unsalted butter 
• 50g Olasagasti anchovies 
• 30g lemon zest
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 8 nasturtium flowers

Wood roasted cabbage

• 1 head of cabbage

Dashi

• 4cm piece of kombu
• 20g bonito flakes
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms 
• 200ml water
• ½ lemon juiced, or to taste 
• 20ml soy sauce
• Xanthan gum

Ocean Trout

• 1 ocean trout 

Method

For Anchovy Butter

• Finely chop the anchovies then shred the flower petals. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

For Wood roasted cabbage

• Preheat the oven to the highest temperature possible. 
• Roast cabbage in the oven until completely black and almost cooked through. Alternatively, put it on the BBQ until black or under the grill.
• Peel off the outer black layers and clean the cabbage with a chux or paper towel.
• Break the cabbage down into 120g portions by removing the core. 
• Steam for 4 minutes and then toss through the anchovy butter. 

For Dashi

• Bring the water to 80 degrees celsius then add kombu, shiitake and bonito flakes. Let it cool to room temperature then strain. 
• Place it back on the heat and add a pinch of xanthan gum until the liquid slightly thickens, the consistency should be in between olive oil and water.
• Season with the remaining ingredients and chill in the fridge. 

For Ocean Trout

• Pat the trout dry with a paper towel. Remove the belly then cut the trout into fillets, from tail to head, as seen in the picture. 
• Place trout fillets skin side up on a plate and leave in the fridge for 2 hours to dry the skin. 
• Place skin side down in a smoking hot skillet and press until completely flat and you stop feeling the skin bubble.
• Cook for 3 minutes until black, it can be super dark. Flip and cook for 10 seconds on the underside then remove from the pan.
• Place trout on a plate with the cabbage tossed butter. Pour a little dashi on top of trout, then add more salt and olive oil, and serve. 

Tip: Don’t discard the belly – it can be sliced and eaten as sashimi for an entrée.