Smoked Trout
Whether you have smoked your own trout or bought it from the store, smoked trout can lift any dish. You can make a pasta salad or it can sit proudly on top of bruschetta or a blini with a horseradish cream or why not try it in a pie or in a kedgeree.
To smoke a whole fish you don’t have to have a smoker you can use a weber. All you need to do is get the coals red-hot before throwing on a handful of slightly moistened woodchips. Make sure the grill is in, add your freshly caught fish that is gutted and scaled and close the lid and cook for 25-40 minutes depending on size of trout or until its golden brown and will flake easily if you pick at the skin with a fork.
Here is an easy and elegant salad to serve up using smoked trout but you could also use any other hot smoked fish of your choice. Enjoy!
Smoked Trout Fennel & Potato Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing
Serves 4
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 fennel bulb, trimmed & outer skin removed & shaved
1 red onion, peeled & sliced
1 tablespoon capers
500gms baby chats
100gms baby rocket
1 smoked trout, skin & bones removed
1 cup good quality whole egg mayonnaise
50mls lemon juice
1 preserved lemon, washed, flesh removed and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely sliced
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
In a screw top jar combine olive oil, vinegar, sugar and mustard and season well. Place vinaigrette in a medium bowl and add fennel, onion & capers.
Put potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil. The potatoes are cooked when easily pierced with a skewer. Drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Peel & slice potatoes and add to vinaigrette with the rocket. Gently combine.
While potatoes are cooking combine mayonnaise with lemon juice, preserved lemon, chilli, parsley, salt & pepper.
Place potato salad onto individual serving plates and top with the smoked trout. Serve with preserved lemon mayonnaise.
*Scott (mullet guts) from Big Fish says its simple to make up your own smoker (listen to the podcast for Scotts tips).
