Name: Smoked trout, potato, fennel and cucumber salad
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1½ tsp fennel seeds; Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon; 500 gm kipfler or chat potatoes, scrubbed, halved; ½ small Spanish onion, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp crème fraîche; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 65 ml olive oil; 150 gm baby cucumbers, half-peeled, halved lengthways, coarsely chopped; 150 gm hot-smoked trout, coarsely flaked; 1 fennel bulb, thinly shaved on a mandolin, placed in acidulated water; Pickled baby cucumbers; 250 gm baby cucumbers, unpeeled, halved lengthways; 125 ml white wine vinegar (½ cup); Juice and thinly peeled rind of 1 lemon; 1 tsp each fennel seeds and coriander seeds; ½ tsp dried chilli flakes

Smoked trout, potato, fennel and cucumber salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for smoked trout, potato, fennel and cucumber salad.

Serves 6

Prep

40M

Cook

15M

Total

55M

You’ll need to begin this recipe at least a week ahead to make the pickles.

Ingredients

1½ tsp fennel seeds

Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon

500 gm kipfler or chat potatoes, scrubbed, halved

½ small Spanish onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp crème fraîche

1 tsp Dijon mustard

65 ml olive oil

150 gm baby cucumbers, half-peeled, halved lengthways, coarsely chopped

150 gm hot-smoked trout, coarsely flaked

1 fennel bulb, thinly shaved on a mandolin, placed in acidulated water

Pickled baby cucumbers

250 gm baby cucumbers, unpeeled, halved lengthways

125 ml white wine vinegar (½ cup)

Juice and thinly peeled rind of 1 lemon

1 tsp each fennel seeds and coriander seeds

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

Method

Main

1.For pickled baby cucumbers, layer cucumbers snugly in a sterilised jar and set aside. Place remaining ingredients, 2 tsp sea salt and 200ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir until sugar dissolves and bring to the boil. Pour over cucumbers, seal and stand to pickle (at least a week). Pickled baby cucumbers will keep refrigerated for 2 months.

2.Dry-roast fennel seeds until fragrant (30 seconds), pound in a mortar and pestle with lemon rind and 1 tsp sea salt and set aside.

3.Combine potato in a saucepan with a generous amount of cold, salted water, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook until just tender (10-12 minutes). Drain, transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

4.Combine onion, lemon juice and vinegar in a bowl, stand until onion has softened (2-3 minutes), then transfer onion with a slotted spoon to potato. Whisk crème fraîche and mustard into vinegar mixture, whisk in oil and fennel seed mixture, then add to potato mixture. Add cucumber, trout and drained fennel and toss lightly to combine. Drain half the pickled baby cucumbers, coarsely chop, add to salad, toss to combine and serve with remaining pickled baby cucumbers to the side.